FOLLOW YOUR HEART
by SherryAKADragonWriter
Summary: This story explores Faith's reaction to Buffy's death and resurrection, and it presents a new take on the real reason Buffy was raised from the dead.
1. Chapter 1

**Follow Your Heart**

**Part 1**

**By DragonWriter17**

**Rating: **NC-17

**Disclaimer:** All of the materials borrowed from _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ belong to Joss Whedon and to the entities and companies associated with their creation. I have borrowed them for creative and entertainment purposes only. No compensation has been or ever shall be received for the writing below. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Spoilers:** _BtVS_ Season 6 (and beyond)

**Pairings:** Buffy/Faith

**Author's Notes:** (1) This story rewrites the events of Buffy's resurrection and introduces a number of non-canon plot changes. One is that Spike leaves town almost immediately after Buffy's death. Another is that Giles leaves much earlier than he did in the original episode, long before Buffy is resurrected. The others you can probably figure out as you go along. (2) The story is written in modified _Watchers_ style. This means that it uses something similar to scene headers in screenplays, but the actual text is mostly written in fiction format. Unlike _Watchers_, though, I may occasionally show a character's thoughts in italics. (3) In Part 1 of my fan fic story "The Buffy Tapes," I created four flashbacks that occurred behind the scenes of the actual _BTVS_ Season 3 (one flashback is before "Revelations"; another is between "Lovers Walk" and "The Wish"; the third is after "Amends"; and the last one is after the end of "Consequences.") I'm assuming those same events happened in the past of this new story; however, none of the other non-canonical events of "The Buffy Tapes," other than those flashbacks, occurred here. (4) Thanks, as always, to Lilly for the beta read and edit! I would also like to thank the _Buffy-vs-Angel_ web site, whose transcripts I used ("Bargaining I and II," "Afterlife," and "Tabula Rasa").

**Number of Chapters:** Unknown

**Complete:** 1

**Story Summary:** This story explores Faith's reaction to Buffy's death and resurrection, and it presents a new take on the real reason Buffy was raised from the dead.

**PART 01**

**Fade In:**

**Heaven - A Short Time After Buffy's Death**

It was unclear whether the current space was interior or exterior. There were no walls, floor, or ceiling visible. The area seemed almost gaseous as if one were floating within a nebula.

Gradually, the view cleared, and a figure could be made out-a small blonde woman emerging from what appeared to be a swirling portal. As she stepped forward, a pair of glorious angel's wings spread out behind her. Buffy leaned her head back and gazed at the upper tips in awe.

"Yes, we _all_ love them..." a voice lightly chided. "But, honey...most of us try not to flaunt them."

At her mother's words, Buffy blushed a bit and then reluctantly tore her eyes from her new wings. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. In a flash, she put them away.

Joyce pulled her Buffy into her arms. "Oh, it feels so good to hold you again. I missed you."

"I missed you, too. So much."

When the two finally separated, Joyce looked into her daughter's eyes. "So...tell me...what have you learned?"

Buffy glanced away in thought and then walked a few feet away. When she turned around, she said, "Well, I-I-I think that it wasn't enough to just want to see Uncle Henry and Auntie Em-it's that-if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with! Is that right?"

Joyce gave her daughter a mock glare for the Dorothy quote from the _Wizard of Oz_. "Smart ass," she said teasingly.

"Mom!" Buffy warned in a hushed voice. "You said 'smart ass' in heaven."

"It's allowed when it's accurate," Joyce countered.

Buffy laughed and then got serious. "I did learn something-a lot of somethings, actually. I learned how lucky I was to have you and Dawn and my friends in my life. I was blessed with a lot of love."

"I'm glad you think so, honey," Joyce said with a smile.

"Unfortunately, I also realized that I was a total screw-up in a lot of ways." Buffy shook her head sadly. "So many things I wish I'd done differently."

"We all learn that," Joyce pointed out. "We're only human."

The two became quiet for a while until Joyce broke the silence with a slight change of subject. "So...are you ready to start being a guardian angel?"

Buffy snickered. "Still can't believe I'm getting to be the star of my own _Touched by an Angel_ episode."

"Have you thought about who you want to watch over?"

Buffy nodded and then gave a hesitant shrug. "I know it should be Dawn..."

"I think I've got her covered," Joyce assured.

"Good 'cause honestly...it's Faith."

Joyce showed no reaction. She just cocked her head and asked, "Not Angel?"

Buffy let out a heavy sigh. "Angel was a mistake. I realize that now. As much as I loved him, it never should have happened."

"What about Willow or Xander?"

"I-I-I know it should be them next to Dawn, I know that," Buffy said, twisting her fingers together, "and I do love them, so much, and I'll worry about them like crazy, but...Faith needs me more." She dropped her gaze to her hands. "She doesn't have anyone. She never did really..."

"Do you feel like you have unfinished business with Faith?" Joyce asked gently.

"Yes," Buffy instantly answered, raising her head to meet her mother's gaze. Then she cringed a little. "Don't be mad."

"I'm not mad, honey," Joyce assured her. "I faced some 'Faith' issues in my own review, if I recall," she admitted.

The slayer's expression saddened. "She had such a tough life in Boston, and when she came to Sunnydale, I should've been a better friend to her. I should've helped her, reached out to her more, I should've-" Buffy stopped and didn't say the rest.

She didn't have to because her mother filled in the blanks. "Told her how you felt?"

Buffy looked up in surprise. "How did you-? I never told anyone."

"I didn't know. Not at first, anyway. It took me a while to piece it all together. Most of it I didn't see or understand until I was here in heaven." Joyce stepped closer to her daughter. "You loved her from the start, didn't you?"

Buffy gave a tearful nod. "I think so. I felt something with her the very first time I met her, but I just thought it was slayer stuff, you know? But it didn't take long to figure out that it was way more than that. It was intense, like, scary intense. I mean, the last time I felt that strongly for someone, it was for Angel, and..."

"And that turned out to be a disaster."

"Exactly," Buffy said. Then she let out another sigh. "No matter how scared I got, though, my feelings kept growing stronger. But then Angel came back, and then Faith killed Finch, and then...I lost her. After that, I think we both went a little crazy. I mean, my god...I almost killed her...I almost killed her..."

As her mother tugged her into another warm embrace, Buffy let the tears come. After a moment, though, she forced them down and pulled away. As she wiped the tears from her face, she gave a rueful laugh.

"I swear, sometimes it felt like the universe was against us, like there was some great conspiracy to keep us apart. Every time we got close, something always happened."

Something about Buffy's statement set Joyce to thinking. She glanced away, her brow furrowing. Buffy didn't notice her mother's reaction.

"I thought maybe things would be different when Faith woke up from her coma," Buffy went on, "but she just went berserk all over again. I don't know why I'm telling _you_-you were there, you remember."

"I do," Joyce said, coming out of her moment of contemplation. "But I think Faith's actions were more about her not being able to face what she had done. It was easier to blame you."

Buffy nodded in agreement. "It must've all come crashing down on her because when I tracked to L.A. she wasn't angry or blaming. She was just...broken. If I had tried to kill her, she would've let me. I really think she would've let me." She hung her head before continuing. "She was really sorry and wanted to apologize, _tried_ to apologize, but I wouldn't let her. I was too busy playing the justified victim, being all self-righteous." Buffy shook her head sadly. "Angel forgave her and was helping her, but I refused to. I just wanted to punish her."

Buffy finally raised her head and met her mother's gaze again. "And _that's_ why I want to watch over her now. I owe her, and she needs somebody."

"She _does_ need someone," Joyce confessed. "Now more than ever."

"What is it?" Buffy asked worriedly. "What do you know?"

Joyce reached out and squeezed her daughter's arm. "Let's just say she didn't take your death very well..."

_**TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 02...**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Follow Your Heart**

**Part 2**

**By DragonWriter17**

**Rating: **NC-17

**Spoilers:** _BtVS_ Season 6 (and beyond)

**Pairings:** Buffy/Faith

**Author Notes:** See Part 1 for more details.

**Story Summary:** This story explores Faith's reaction to Buffy's death and resurrection, and it presents a new take on the real reason Buffy was raised from the dead.

**PART 02**

**Fade In:**

**California State Women's Penitentiary - Cell Block - Night **

In the common area of her cell block, Faith was perched on a bench, shit-talking with some of her fellow inmates. When her eye caught the time on the wall clock, the blue-jumpsuit-clad slayer hopped off her bench.

"Gotta run, chicas," she told them cheerily. "Time for my shift in the infirmary."

A scraggly-haired redhead named Lena called out to her in mock complaint, "How come you get all the sweet jobs around here?"

Faith laughed as she backed away. " 'Cause I'm sweet!"

"Yeah right!" Lena shot back. "We know that's a fuckin' lie!"

As Faith passed by another group of inmates, a verbal fight broke out. Debbie, a huge hulk of a woman, was screaming obscenities at a much smaller but just as angry female. When the two started a shoving match, Faith immediately intervened. She leapt over a metal table and put herself between them, pushing them apart.

"Hey! Stop it! I said STOP IT!" Faith yelled.

The smaller woman instantly backed down, but Debbie didn't. She looked ready to turn her wrath on Faith. She balled her fists at her sides and appeared seconds away from decking the slayer.

Two of Debbie's associates came beside her and tugged on her arms. "Come on, Deb. Let it go," one said.

"Yeah, you don't want the Super Bitch comin' down on you," the other whispered to her.

After a very tense moment, Debbie reluctantly let her two associates lead her away from Faith.

Once Faith was sure that the situation had been defused, she got back on her path toward the exit.

As Faith walked away, Debbie glared at her back. "One day I'm gonna kill that bitch..." she promised.

As she was led by a guard out of the common area and into the corridors between cell blocks, he leaned over to her and said, "Thanks for breaking that up. Those two have been going at it for days."

She flashed the guard a slick smile. "Awww, Eddie...nothing says 'thank you' like a new pack of Luckys..." she said in a sing-songy voice as she held an almost empty pack of Lucky Strike cigarettes.

Eddie laughed and said, "Deal." But then he quickly sobered. "Seriously, watch your back, okay?"

Faith just flashed him another smile. "Don't worry. I can take care of myself."

As he sent Faith on to the next junction, Eddie murmured to himself, "Don't I know it." Once she had buzzed through, he turned around and headed back to the common area. "Fifteen minutes! Then it's lights out!" he called out. "Get to your cells!"

**Cut To:**

**Penitentiary - Infirmary - Minutes Later**

As the two guards on duty gave her friendly nods and held the door open for her, Faith entered the infirmary. She headed straight for the sink to wash her hands, then called out to the doctor on duty, Dr. Victoria Raine.

"Hey, Doc! What's up?"

As Faith turned around, still drying off her hands, she saw a short, pudgy, salt-and-pepper-haired woman in a white lab coat standing amidst multiple stacks of brown cardboard boxes.

"At the moment, not a single thing," Dr. Raine replied in an exasperated tone, "and therein lies the problem. My supplies shipment arrived today, and now it all needs to be put away. Unfortunately, I have a mountain of charts to attend to as well."

In a flash, Faith's mind took her back in time to Boston, to her memories of her first watcher, Professor Diana Dormer. In the short time she'd known the woman, she'd come to respect her-and then to fail her. Although Dr. Raine didn't really speak or look like her former watcher, Faith was nonetheless reminded of her.

_No sense dredgin' up all that shit_, she told herself. _The Council, slaying, that part of your life's over_.

"Why don't you let me handle the restocking while you work on your charts?" Faith suggested. "If I don't know where something goes, I'll ask."

Dr. Raine smiled gratefully. "Sounds perfect. Thank you. You have been a godsend, my dear."

Faith snorted jokingly in response. "First time anybody's ever said _that_ to me."

"Well, it's true," Dr. Raine merrily insisted, moving to her small desk in the corner. "And not just here. Out there, too. All the guards say so."

Faith shrugged off the praise. "Just trying to keep the peace and pass the time."

As Dr. Raine turned her attention to her patient charts, Faith got to work on the shipment of supplies. She put away several boxes of gauze, bandages, and dressings, followed by latex gloves and surgical tape. When she opened the next box, though, a puzzled look came over her face. She picked up one of the items-a small clear bag with a coil of plastic tubing inside it.

"Hey, Doc, where do these oxygen thingees go?" Faith asked, holding up the bagged tubing. "The ones that stick in your nose?"

Dr. Raine looked up to see what Faith was holding. "Nasal cannula," she replied, identifying the item. "They go in the bottom drawer of the red cart here."

"Got it, thanks," Faith answered then headed toward the cart that stood between herself and the doctor. "Cannula...what kind of a word is that, anyway?"

"It's Latin, my dear," the doctor answered, her eyes now back on her charts. "It means 'small reed' because the tube is like a plant stem that's round and hollow."

"Oh, well that makes sens-_arggghh!_"

Faith's comment was cut off as a surge of pain suddenly ripped through her body. Her hand clutched at her chest as she stumbled against the cart, causing items to crash to the floor.

"Faith!" Dr. Raine called out in alarm, rising from her chair.

The pain was so great that it forced Faith to her knees. She doubled over, groaning and grimacing, unable to even form words yet.

Dr. Raine rushed to Faith's side and lifted the slayer's head enough to look her in the eyes. "Faith! What's wrong? Tell me what's happening."

Faith was crying and showed no recognition of the doctor. "Oh god...no..."

**Cut To:**

**Series of Shots - Sunnydale - Glory's Tower**

- Buffy making her final words to Dawn then jumping from the tower

- Buffy falling into the roiling portal, being twisted and contorted by its energies

- Buffy screaming in pain within the portal, then a flash

- Buffy lying on her back on a pile of bricks, her lifeless eyes staring upwards

**Cut To:**

**Penitentiary - Infirmary - Resume **

Faith was practically sobbing as Dr. Rained continued to call out to her, trying to pull her from whatever state she had fallen into.

"Oh god...she's dead..." Faith cried. "She's dead, and it's all my fault..."

"Faith, listen to me," Dr. Raine instructed, helping the stricken slayer to her feet. "Let me get you to a table, I need to-"

"NOOO!" Faith screamed, violently shoving Dr. Raine away. The doctor slammed into an open cabinet, sending more items crashing to the floor.

Drawn into the infirmary by the noise, the guards rushed Faith and tackled her to the floor. She fought them like a mad woman, and they were unable to keep her down. The ensuing battle was destroying the infirmary piece by piece.

Meanwhile, Dr. Raine got to her feet, hurried to the counter, and pulled a loaded syringe from a drawer. She headed back toward the ongoing fight.

Faith had just kicked one guard away when the other one tackled her again.

"Hold her still!" Dr. Raine ordered the guard.

"I'm trying!" he yelled back.

Dr. Raine finally saw an opening and jabbed the syringe into Faith's leg. Within seconds, the drug took effect, and Faith's struggle weakened. Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she slumped to the floor, unconscious.

The guard who had been trying to hold Faith down rolled off her and lay on the floor beside her, grimacing and trying to catch his breath. The other guard limped over, holding his side, and asked, "What the hell was that all about?"

Dr. Raine knelt beside Faith and stroked her forehead worriedly. "I haven't the foggiest idea."

**Fade To:**

**Penitentiary - Psychiatric Ward - Faith's Cell - Next Morning**

When Faith woke up, she found herself face down on a hard, cold tile floor. She blinked groggily as she took in the sight of one half of what would prove to be a very small square cell.

She went to push up from the floor but realized that her upper body was encased in a straight-jacket. She rolled onto her back and used her heels to nudge herself toward the wall. She kept scooting and nudging until she had propped herself up in the corner.

Leaving her legs splayed out before her, she leaned the side of her head against the wall. Tears leaked out of her eyes, but her expression was blank, as if she were dead inside.

_**TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 03...**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Follow Your Heart**

**Part 3**

**By DragonWriter17**

**Rating: **NC-17

**Spoilers:** _BtVS_ Season 6 (and beyond)

**Pairings:** Buffy/Faith

**Author Notes:** See Part 1 for more details.

**Story Summary:** This story explores Faith's reaction to Buffy's death and resurrection, and it presents a new take on the real reason Buffy was raised from the dead.

**PART 03**

**Fade In:**

**Penitentiary - Psychiatric Ward - Corridor - Same Time**

Outside Faith's cell, a guard watched her through a tiny slit in the door. When he saw her move to the corner and sit up, he moved to a nearby phone on the corridor wall. He dialed a number and waited.

"Infirmary," he heard Dr. Raine answer.

"She's awake," he told her.

"I'll be right there."

**Cut To:**

**Penitentiary - Psychiatric Ward - Faith's Cell - Minutes Later**

Once the guard had unlocked the door for her, Dr. Raine cautiously entered the small cell.

"Faith, it's Dr. Raine," she called out to the troubled girl.

Faith didn't reply; she just stared blankly at the wall.

The doctor crossed the cell and knelt down on the floor. "Faith, I just want to help, but I can't help if I don't know what's going on."

Once again, Faith remained unresponsive.

Dr. Raine had no choice but to leave and give Faith a little more time.

**Cut To:**

**Penitentiary - Infirmary - Later**

Hours later, after several more failed attempts to engage Faith, Dr. Raine was standing at her desk. With one hand, she held an ice pack to the back of her head where it had impacted the cabinet after Faith's shove. With her other hand, she rapidly punched in a number on her cell phone. After a substantial pause, it finally began to ring.

When she heard the expected voice answer, she said urgently, in an accent that was now totally British, "Quentin, I have disturbing news."

"Vicky!" exclaimed her brother, Quentin Travers, Head of the Watchers Council. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she replied, "but Faith isn't."

"What's happened?"

"Faith has had some kind of...reaction. To what, I don't know, but she became so distraught earlier that I had to sedate her." She got a puzzled look on her face. "It doesn't appear to be connected to anything here, though. That's what's so odd about it."

She heard her brother let out a weary sigh. "It's Miss Summers," he told her. "She's dead."

Dr. Raine's mouth fell open. She pulled the ice pack away from her head and sank into her chair. "Dear God..."

**Fade To:**

**Penitentiary - ****Infirmary - That Night**

Dr. Raine sat slumped in her chair, a weary and worried expression on her face. She was startled when her desk phone suddenly rang. She fumbled for it and then answered in a neutral accent, "Infirmary."

"Faith's friend is here to see her," the visitation guard informed her. "What should we tell him?"

Dr. Raine thought for a moment then said, "Tell him to wait. I'll call you back."

**Cut To:**

**Penitentiary - ****Psychiatric Ward - Faith's Cell - Minutes Later**

Dr. Raine found Faith in exactly the same position and demeanor as she had been all of her other visits-despondently propped in the corner, refusing to eat, drink, speak, or even make eye contact.

Once again, she knelt beside the stricken slayer and called her name.

No response.

"Faith, you have to come out of this," she told her. "Your-your friend is here to see you...the one who always visits...Angel..."

This information got the result she wanted. Faith looked up and met her gaze.

**Cut To:**

**Penitentiary - Visitation Area - Minutes Later**

As Angel sat on the other side of the glass, he watched the guards bring Faith in. Unlike previous visits, she was brought in fully restrained-with leg irons and handcuffs attached to a waist chain. Once they had placed her in the chair, the guards unlocked her left handcuff and snapped it onto a large u-shaped bar that jutted from the table. Then they left her alone in the cubicle. Angel could tell by the look in her eyes as she picked up the phone that she already knew what he had come to tell her.

"How did you find out?" he asked her.

"I felt it, and I just knew," she said, her voice nearly breaking. She cleared her throat and made herself ask, "What happened?"

"I don't have all the details," Angel answered, "but the short version is...she went up against a hell god named Glory who was trying to open a portal to the hell dimension she came from. Buffy defeated her but not before the portal was opened. The only way it could be closed was if Buffy sacrificed herself."

Both were quiet for a while, still trying to get their minds to accept the truth of Buffy' death. Finally, Faith looked up and met Angel's eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "I know you loved her."

Angel nodded, then said, "I know you loved her, too."

Faith's eyes grew wide, and her mouth dropped open in surprise.

Angel gave her a small smile. "Yeah, I knew."

Guilt finally overtook Faith's shock, and she dropped her gaze to the scarred table she was handcuffed to. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"For what? For loving her?"

Faith didn't know what to say to that. After a while she raised her head again, the anguish of even more guilt now on her face. "I shoulda been there. If I hadn't screwed things up...if I hadn't ended up here..."

"Don't go there, Faith," Angel said sympathetically.

"Why not?" she shot back. "_You_ have. I can see it in your eyes."

It was Angel's turn to hang his head. He couldn't deny Faith's accusation. He did blame himself for not staying in Sunnydale when he could have. He pushed the guilt down, though, and hurried to finish what he'd come to do. After glancing quickly at the clock, he turned back to Faith.

"I don't have much longer," he said. "I need to tell you something: I won't be coming by for a while." When he saw the hurt in Faith's eyes, he quickly added, "It's only because I've got a job overseas...in Sri Lanka. Might take a few months."

Faith nodded in understanding and then shrugged nonchalantly as if his absence wasn't going to bother her. "No big. I know you got a life to lead." Inside, though, her heart sank even more.

"I'll be back," Angel promised.

"You better," Faith said, forcing a smile. "Bring me a souvenir. Something like 'My vampire sponsor went to Sri Lanka, and all I got was this lousy t-shirt'." The she sobered and said, "Be careful."

"You too," Angel replied. Then he hung up the phone and left.

Faith slumped in her chair, feeling the cold, lonely, and inescapable darkness settle over her once again.

**Cut To:**

**Penitentiary - Cell Block - The Next Day**

Having been released from the psych ward, Faith, once again shackled in both handcuffs and leg irons, was returned to her usual cell block. As she was led hobbling down the corridor, she could feel the stares, hear the laughs and the speculations.

"...heard she had a meltdown and attacked the doc..."

"...stupid bitch...blew the best job in the joint..."

"...knew she was a fraud...just as fucked up as the rest of us..."

No one dared say a word to her directly, though-none except Debbie.

"Off your high horse now, aren't ya, bitch?" Debbie spat snidely at her through the bars.

"Shut your pie hole!" Eddie yelled, pointing furiously at the trouble-maker.

When they passed Lena's cell, the redhead called out to her fellow inmate. "Yo, S.B.? Faith? Are you okay? What happened?"

Faith made no answer. She didn't even acknowledge her friend's presence. She just continued down the corridor, a blank, dead expression on her face. She mechanically followed Eddie's commands until he had uncuffed her, placed her inside her cell, and locked the door.

She stood stock still inside her cell for a solid minute before plopping wearily onto her bunk. When she felt a wave of anguish well up inside her, she ran her hands through her hair and forced it down. Then her eye caught the picture she had taped to the wall. She got up, walked over, and plucked it off the cement.

It was a novelty picture from a photo booth containing four separate shots of herself with Buffy. The first two frames showed Buffy and Faith making goofy faces and poses inside the booth. The third frame showed the slayers kissing passionately. The fourth frame showed them looking at each other intently.

Faith couldn't hold pain back any longer. She pressed the strip of pictures against her heart and leaned against the stone wall. Then she let the tears come.

**Fade To:**

**Penitentiary - Exercise Field - A Few Days Later**

As she had for several days, Faith kept her distance from all the other inmates, even those she called friends. She didn't feel like feeding the gossip hounds, and she sure as hell didn't feel like sharing. She didn't need or want anyone's pity. She sat on the bench on the far corner of the exercise field, smoking cigarette after cigarette from her pack of Luckys.

Most of the other women had kept their distance, too. They knew how dangerous Faith was in a fight. They didn't want to risk pissing her off, especially when the girl had proven to be unstable. Only her friend Lena dared approach her.

"Hey, S.B.," Lena called out amiably as she joined Faith on the bench. "How ya doing?"

Faith didn't even look her way.

"Eddie says ya lost somebody. If you wanna talk..."

Faith sent her a scathing glare, so Lena instantly left that topic. She cleared her throat nervously and tried again.

"So...um...do you think you'll get your infirmary job back?"

"What do you think?" Faith retorted.

Lena looked away for a bit then scooted closer. "Look, Debbie's making big talk about taking you out-you know, hit you while you're down? You better watch yourself."

Faith just shrugged like she didn't care.

Not knowing what else to say or do, Lena slipped away.

**Cut To:**

**Penitentiary - Faith's Cell - That Night**

As the other inmates lay sleeping and snoring in their cells, Faith tossed and turned on her bunk, her eyes darting beneath their lids. Her face was tensed in pain as she mumbled incoherently, trapped in a horrible nightmare.

**Cut To:**

**Hell - Faith's Nightmare**

Faith ran through a hellish landscape-stone buildings burning or destroyed, demons roaming freely, humans screaming in torment. She focused on one set of screams.

"Buffy?" she called out. "_Buffy?_" Then she took off toward a particular building only half demolished.

As she wound through the crumbling hallways, the screaming she had honed in on grew louder. When she tracked it to its location behind a heavy wooden door, she heard the screaming suddenly stop. She kicked down the door and ran inside. Several demons were hovered over something Faith couldn't see. They turned and rushed the slayer. Even with no weapon, she made quick work of them, ripping them to pieces with her bare hands.

When the demons were dead, Faith hurried to where they'd been hovering. There she found Buffy-chained to a table, her body so ravaged by the tortures the demons had subjected her to that she was almost unrecognizable.

"Oh god, Buffy..." Faith said in horror before reaching for the chains. "I-I-I'm gonna get you out of here...just let me..."

"Don't. You. Touch Me."

The intensity of Buffy's voice made Faith freeze in her attempt to break the chains. She slowly looked up and met Buffy's eyes.

"This is all your fault!" Buffy accused, suddenly and inexplicably able to rise from the table, no longer bound.

Faith backed away in terror. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry...I should've been there to help, but-"

"Poor Faith...finally sorry," Buffy told her as she descended upon her. "Well, sorry came too late." She grabbed Faith by the throat with both hands and shoved her against the wall, strangling the life from her. "I'm in hell..._because of you!_"

**Cut To:**

**Penitentiary - Faith's Cell - That Night**

Faith awoke screaming, rousing the entire cell block. As she grasped at her neck and panted for air, the inmates around her grumbled and cursed.

"Jesus Christ! Not again...every fuckin' night since she got back..."

"Damn psycho...they need to send her ass back to the ward..."

When Faith realized, once again, that it had only been a dream, she sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bunk. She leaned her elbows on her knees, covered her face with her hands, and just cried.

As Faith's body shook with sobs, she couldn't tell that she wasn't actually alone in her cell.

She couldn't see that, there with her, standing right in front of her, glowing wings and all, was Guardian Angel Buffy.

She couldn't feel Buffy's fingers caressing her brow or wiping the tears from her cheeks.

She couldn't hear Buffy telling her again and again, "It's not your fault...I'm not in hell..."

She couldn't see Buffy falling to her knees, crying and pleading with her, "Faith, please don't do this to yourself...please..."

Faith could only sink deeper into her despair.

_**TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 04...**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Follow Your Heart**

**Part 04**

**By DragonWriter17**

**Rating: **NC-17

**Spoilers:** _BtVS_ Season 6 (and beyond)

**Pairings:** Buffy/Faith

**Author's Notes:** See Part 01 for more details.

**Story Summary:** This story explores Faith's reaction to Buffy's death and resurrection, and it presents a new take on the real reason Buffy was raised from the dead.

**PART 04**

**Fade In:**

**Heaven - Later**

"I'm trying everything I can," Buffy desperately reported to her mother, "but Faith is getting worse. She blames herself for my death, and now she just wants to die. I don't know what to do!"

Joyce reached out and squeezed her daughter's arm. "Just keep at it, honey. Don't give up."

Buffy nodded, but worry still creased her face.

**Fade To:**

**Penitentiary - Exercise Field - The Next Day**

As Faith sat smoking on her bench at the far corner of the yard, she was closely watched by the guards, particularly by her two closest allies within the correctional officers-Jack, who was positioned on the wall, and Eddie, who was stationed on the ground near the free weights.

They had heard the rumors and knew that Debbie had made threats against Faith. They also knew that Debbie was fully capable of making good on those threats. She was a lifer with no possibility of parole, so she had very little to lose, and her girls were fiercely loyal. So far, Debbie and her gang had minded their own business, but Jack and Eddie weren't convinced of their seeming disinterest.

Suddenly, a fight broke out at the tables near the free weights. As the two women started shoving and slapping, a crowd gathered around them. The ground-level guards moved in. Before they could get there, though, the single fight escalated into a bench-emptying brawl when the two girls' respective friends jumped into the action. Every available guard rushed in to break up the incident before it worsened.

Faith turned back and glanced at the massive fight. For a moment she considered intervening; then she shook her head and returned to her smoking. _What the fuck difference does it make?_ she thought to herself. _They're just gonna beat the shit out of each other another day._

The brawl, of course, was Debbie's idea-the perfect distraction that would allow her to make her move against the Super Bitch. While the guards struggled to make a dent in the violent mob, Debbie and five of her most loyal followers hurried over to where Faith sat alone.

From his position on the wall, Jack noticed Debbie and her gang creeping toward Faith and immediately got on his radio. "Eddie! Eddie! Forget the fight! Debbie's moving on Faith!"

Eddie, though, had his hands full within the ongoing brawl. He tried to look in Faith's direction but couldn't see past the crowd.

On the far side of the exercise field, Debbie finally reached Faith. "You're sittin' on my bench, bitch," she called out in challenge.

Faith cut her eyes over her shoulder and then took a long drag off her cigarette. After breathing out the smoke, she said, "Fuck off, Debbie. I'm not in the mood."

"Well, _I am_."

Faith got up from her bench and shot the larger woman a deadly glare. Then she threw down her cigarette and stalked directly toward Debbie.

For a second, the hulking woman seemed to reconsider her actions, but then she stood firm, determined to follow through. She readied herself, expecting an instant fight. She was surprised when Faith just walked right past her.

"I told you," the brunette growled, "I'm not in the mood."

As Faith walked away, she made no attempt to watch her back. She knew they were going to try something, but at that point, she just didn't care. Debbie took the opportunity given to her and punched Faith hard in her lower back.

Faith fell to one knee, grimacing in pain, but after a moment, she got back up. When she turned around toward her attacker, she saw Debbie's girls begin to surround them. When the circle was complete, Faith lifted her eyes to meet the larger woman's glare, but she kept her arms loose at her sides.

When she realized Faith wasn't going to retaliate, Debbie punched her in the face several times. Each impact made Faith's head snap to the side with such force that it set the slayer to stumbling. Debbie then gave Faith two brutal punches to the gut followed by a vicious uppercut to the chin. Faith hit the ground on her back, seeing stars and spitting blood from her mouth.

Back on the wall, Jack kept yelling at Eddie over the radio. "Get your ass over there! She's not even fighting back!"

Eddie shoved away the woman he'd been trying to restrain and began fighting his way out of the mob.

As Debbie's friends cheered, Faith turned over and crawled along the gravel, trying to get to her feet. When Faith was almost there, Debbie grabbed her by the front of her jumpsuit and yanked her close.

"I'm gonna make you wish you'd never been born!" Debbie snarled.

Faith gave a rueful laugh. "Too late."

Debbie's face scrunched into a scowl, and she tossed Faith to her friends. "Get her!" she ordered.

At Debbie's command, the five women began raining down blows on Faith. After a hailstorm of punches, Faith went down again, this time on her stomach. But the blows didn't stop. They just became kicks and stomps instead of punches.

As Faith lay on the ground, groaning each time a foot connected with her body, she couldn't see that Guardian Angel Buffy was right there with her.

"Fight back!" Buffy yelled at her. "Damn you, fight back!"

But Faith didn't hear her. She just took all the punishment that Debbie and her gang were putting out. If she was lucky, it'd be over soon.

When Debbie figured Faith was sufficiently softened up, she called out to her girls, and they picked Faith up and held her upright by her arms.

Blood was pouring down Faith's face from a large gash on her forehead. She kept blinking her eyes repeatedly as if she were trying to focus her vision. Buffy continued to plead with her to no avail.

Debbie held up a shiv and said, "Time to die, bitch."

Buffy's translucent form stepped between the slayer and her attacker. "Faith! Remember what I told you when we were fighting Kakistos? The first rule of slaying? _Don't. Die._" Buffy practically sobbed her next words, "Faith, please! _Please, don't die!_"

Something in Faith's eyes changed. It was as if she had actually heard her guardian angel's desperate words. Just as Debbie shoved the thin blade of the shiv through Buffy's glowing form and toward Faith's stomach, Faith yanked her arms free and stopped Debbie's thrust.

Debbie's eyes showed shock, then fury, and when she failed to even budge Faith's grip, they finally showed fear.

Back at the brawl, Eddie at last made it clear of the mob and ran toward Faith. When he arrived, he found Debbie and her gang on the ground-either groaning or unconscious. Faith was beaten and bloody, barely able to remain standing.

When Eddie rushed to her side, she pointed at the others and said in a slurred voice, "I didn't...start it...they..."

"I know," Eddie assured her. "I know."

When Faith's eyes promptly rolled back in her head, Eddie caught her and eased her gently to the ground.

**Cut To:**

**Penitentiary - Psych Ward - Infirmary - Later **

When the injured had first arrived in the main infirmary, Dr. Raine had immediately separated Faith from the others and sent her to the facility in the psych ward. The doctor had then summoned all of the prison's on-call medical staff. After doing a rapid triage, Dr. Raine had sent a few of the injured women on to the local hospital and left the rest to be tended to by her staff. Then she had rushed to psych ward to check on her favorite inmate.

Currently, Faith lay groaning on a gurney as Dr. Raine systematically examined her abdomen for signs of internal bleeding. Satisfied that there was none, the doctor helped Faith sit up and swing her legs off the side. She flashed a pen light in Faith's eyes, rechecking her pupil dilation. After putting her pen light away, she began cleaning the gash on Faith's forehead. Once she had it sufficiently cleaned, she began applying a line of butterfly bandages to pull the wound closed.

As she neared the end of the gash, she said, "Jack tells me you didn't fight back. Not at first. Is that true?"

Faith just glanced away and didn't answer.

Dr. Raine stopped her work and demanded, "Am I going to have to put you on suicide watch?"

Faith just shrugged in response.

Dr. Raine huffed in frustration. "Is that it, then? Is that how it's going to be?" she accused, her British accent beginning to leak through. "You not talking, not taking care of yourself, not defending yourself until you end up dead?"

Faith just shrugged again.

"You've _got_ to snap out of this!" Dr. Raine ordered her. "Buffy is _gone_, and the world needs you! Do you think that giving up is what Buffy would want you to do? Just give up and die?"

Faith hadn't noticed the doctor's use of Buffy's name or the lapse of her accent. She just wearily replied, "I doubt she'd care."

"She bloody well _would_ care!" Dr. Raine shot back, her British accent in full force now. "She'd come in here and kick your slayer arse all around this bloody room!"

This time Faith noticed. She stared at the older woman in shock as the doctor went on.

"Slayers don't let themselves die," Dr. Raine told her. "They don't give up. They never give up."

"Who the hell are you?" Faith asked warily, although she suspected she already knew the answer to that question.

"I work for the Council," she replied. "I was sent here to watch over you."

"_Spy on me_, you mean," Faith retorted as she pushed past the doctor, slid off the table, and walked a few feet away. "Can't take your eyes off the psycho slayer-she might go out and kill somebody!"

"Faith, I came here to _help_ you."

"Oh? Well, why were you so damn secret about it, huh? Why didn't you just tell me who you were when you got here?"

The doctor ducked her head for a moment before raising it again. "I wanted to, but Quentin...he wanted strict observation only."

" 'Quentin'," Faith noted snarkily, recognizing the first name of the Head of the Watchers Council. "You and the big wig must be mighty close..." she insinuated.

Dr. Raine gave a disgusted huff then informed Faith, "He's my _brother_." While Faith got an 'oh' look on her face, the doctor continued. "I should have told you sooner, and I'm very sorry that I didn't, but putting that aside for the moment, I have something important to tell you. An offer to make, actually."

Faith's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What kind of offer?"

"If you'll pull yourself together, the Council will get you out of prison so that you can resume your duties in Sunnydale. With Miss Summers gone, the Hellmouth needs a guardian, and that, my dear, is you."

Faith snorted in disbelief. "The Council wants me back? Come on! Last time I checked they were trying to kill me."

"They've been persuaded that you've reformed."

"Oh yeah? By who?"

"By _me_," the doctor answered earnestly. "I've been here almost as long as you have, and I've seen the change in you. You've gone from a confused, out-of-control girl consumed by her own rage to a mature young woman determined to redeem herself."

Faith snorted again but without conviction. Glancing away, she said, "I think you're the one who's confused."

"I know you've made mistakes. Serious ones. So serious that you were sent here," Dr. Raine conceded. "But now you have the opportunity to atone for those mistakes, to make a fresh start with the Council. You're _needed_, Faith."

After a long moment of silence, Faith shook her head and said, "If I die, another slayer can be called...one that's not in prison, one that's not as screwed up as I am."

"No, Faith, no," Dr. Raine said, lifting the girl's chin to make her meet her eyes. "You are the Slayer. _You_. You have been since the day you were called. It's what you were meant to do, what you were _fated_ to do..."

Faith backed out of the doctor's grasp and turned away to think, her mind instantly bombarded by her inner voices.

_This has gotta be some kinda trick_, her cynical self asserted. _You can't trust the Council_.

_I dunno_, Faith thought. _The doc seems cool_.

_Yeah, well, so did Gwendolyn Post, the watcher from hell_.

_But you'd be __out_, another voice countered. _No more prison food, no more eight-by-eight cell for a home...you'd be __free_.

_I ain't ever gonna be free. Not really. And I shouldn't be. I don't deserve to be. Not after what I did_.

_But, but...you'd get to slay!_ the voice insisted. _You know how much you've missed that_.

_True_.

Faith let the various voices battle back and forth until she came to the one question that she knew would settle the matter: What would Buffy do?

_She'd fight the good fight_, Faith answered herself. _She'd go where she was most needed_.

With a heavy sigh, Faith turned back around and faced her watcher. "Okay," she told her, though without much enthusiasm.

"Marvelous!" Dr. Raine exclaimed, a pleased smile spreading over her face. Then she began rattling off what would happen. "It will take weeks, perhaps months, to get everything arranged. Until that time, you'll remain here in isolation. You'll have to heal, of course, and then be evaluated, both physically and psychologically. In the meantime, Quentin will need to negotiate your release..."

As Dr. Raine excitedly went on, Faith tuned her out and let out another sigh. _Maybe it won't be so bad_, she thought. _Maybe I can get it right this time_.

Guardian Angel Buffy stepped in front of the slayer and caressed her bruised cheek. "You will...you'll make a difference...you'll be twice the slayer I was, I promise..."

Although Faith couldn't consciously hear Buffy's words, she did feel a small sense of reassurance come over her. She turned back to the doctor and gave her watcher her full attention.

At that, Buffy smiled and then disappeared in a golden flash.

**Cut To:**

**Heaven - Moments Later**

When Buffy arrived in heaven, she immediately found her mother and rushed to tell her the good news. She took no note of the woman Joyce was speaking with.

"I did it, Mom! I did it!" Buffy blurted ecstatically, totally interrupting her mother's conversation. "Faith's going to be okay. It was a close call, she almost let herself get killed, but I got through to her, and she didn't, and now the Council's gonna let her go back to Sunnydale, and I just know things'll be better for her there. She can be a slayer again and-"

"Oh dear, oh dear," said a chiding voice-one that didn't come from her mother.

Buffy finally turned and looked at the woman who was with Joyce. She couldn't believe her eyes. "Pat?"

Joyce's former book club friend smiled condescendingly and reached over to pat Buffy's arm. "Don't you worry, dear. I don't blame _you _for that whole zombie incident..."

While Buffy tried to shake off her surprise, Pat turned back to Joyce. "You simply _have_ to tell her," she insisted. "I know, I know...the Powers forbade you to speak of it, but she needs to know the truth. Save her the agony of working a hopeless case."

"Mom," Buffy said, her anxiety skyrocketing now. "What is she talking about?"

When Joyce didn't answer right away, Pat eagerly continued for her. "This girl you've chosen to watch over? Faith Lehane? I hate to tell you, but...the poor thing isn't going to make it to her next birthday. And since her redemption will be far from over when that happens, you know what that means..."

Buffy's eyes widened in horror, and her mind was sent reeling. _Faith's going to die? Faith's going to hell?_

"And she was making such progress, too," Pat said with fake pity. "Too little, too late, I guess..."

"That's enough!" Joyce said sharply to her one-time friend. "You, you... sanctimonious, self-serving...pain in the ass!"

Pat gasped in wounded outrage.

"I didn't even like you when we were both alive!" Joyce accused. "If I hadn't been so desperate to connect to someone after Buffy ran away, I never would have tolerated you. I don't even know how you're here! But I don't have to put up with you now, so get out! Get away from me, and don't you ever speak to Buffy again!"

Pat was, for once, rendered speechless, and she wisely and quickly scurried away. When Joyce turned to speak to her daughter, though, she found that Buffy was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, no..." Joyce said with dread. She knew exactly where Buffy had gone.

**Cut To:**

**Heaven - Inside the Palace of the Powers-That-Be - A Short Time Later**

Buffy was being dragged backwards out of a cavernous chamber by two very burly angels who had hooked their arms around hers.

"Wait! Wait! I just want to talk to them!" she insisted, reaching out toward the front of the chamber.

When it was clear that the angels were not going to listen, she decided that it would be necessary to fight force with force. She wasn't even sure if she still had her slayer powers or if she had any special angel strength, but it was time to find out.

She surged forward, breaking the grip that they had on her arms. When they turned to grab her again, she slammed her elbows back into their guts, making them double over. She spun around and aimed a sweeping high kick right across their jaws as they raised up from clutching their stomachs. They went down in a domino-like heap and didn't move.

As she stood over the downed angels, breathing hard, she started to hear some light applause. She turned and saw seven glowing beings sitting upon thrones at the front of the chamber. They were currently in human form, probably for Buffy's benefit, but they could appear in any form they chose.

The one who was slowly clapping was on the left end of the dais. He was young and handsome and wore a smirk on his bearded face.

"Thank you," he complimented as he stopped his applause. "I've missed watching you work."

The female being next to him rolled her eyes and sighed.

He leaned forward and addressed the other Powers. "I _still_ say she'd be better suited to the warrior ranks than the guardians..."

The gray-haired man in the center of the seven shook his head. "Her place has already been decided," he reminded, and the other man said nothing more. The older man then turned to Buffy and said in a softer tone, "So has the place of Faith Lehane."

"No! It can't be!" Buffy objected. "Y-Y-You haven't given her enough time. She can make up for what she's done. I promise she can. She can do _so_ much good, you'll see. She-"

The elderly man raised his hand, and Buffy fell silent. "It is her fate," he told her solemnly, "and we cannot interfere with fate."

"_What?_" Buffy replied in an incensed voice. "Are you kidding me? You interfere all the time! It's what you do."

The elderly man pulled his shoulders back in a defensive posture. "Only in the most dire of circumstances."

"This is dire," Buffy insisted. "This is as dire as it gets. This is Dire City!" Then she calmed herself a bit and stepped toward the seven. "Faith is the Slayer. The world needs her."

"When she falls, another will be called," the elderly man announced resolutely. "That is the way it is, the way it has always been."

"Well, your way _sucks!_" Buffy shot back before stomping out.

**Cut To:**

**Heaven - Outside the Palace of the Powers-That-Be - Moments Later**

Joyce was wringing her hands as she anxiously awaited Buffy's return. When she saw the door burst open and Buffy come stalking out, she was so relieved. She had been deathly afraid that her daughter would mouth off to the Powers and earn herself a quick ticket to Purgatory, but the fact that Buffy was here instead of there boded well. She hoped.

As Buffy approached her mother, she sent her an angry glare and then proceeded to walk right past her. Joyce reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"Buffy, I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "They told me not to tell you..."

"I don't need apologies," Buffy coldly replied, pulling out of Joyce's grasp. "I need a way to save Faith."

At that, the slayer stormed away, leaving her mother behind.

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	5. Chapter 5

**FOLLOW YOUR HEART**

**By DragonWriter17**

**PART 05**

**Author's Note:** (1) The next several chapters will contain a rehash of portions of "Bargaining I and II" (with some key changes). I apologize in advance for the massive lifting, but it's necessary for the continuity of the story. Please bear with me. (2) One of these key changes to the canon of "Bargaining I and II" is that both Spike and Giles leave Sunnydale weeks before Buffy is resurrected. (3) By the way, Dr. Raine has no connection to Ethan Rayne. They have similar but totally unrelated names.

**Fade In:**

**Sunnydale - The Summers Home - Late At Night**

Dirty and exhausted from substitute slaying, Willow, Xander, and Anya trudged through the front door. Buffybot walked in behind them and shut the door; the android was as chipper as ever, although she too showed signs of wear and tear. Tara rose from the couch to greet them.

"Willow, I need service," Buffybot reminded when a small spark popped on her damaged arm.

"I know," the redhead said wearily. "Just go on up to your room, and I'll be there in a bit. But don't wake Dawn up, okay?"

"Okay!" Buffybot said before heading upstairs.

"Tough night?" Tara asked as the Scoobies sat down in the living room.

"Yeah, you could say that," Xander replied. "We tried to take out this nest of vamps. Didn't exactly go as planned."

"A whole nest?" Tara exclaimed. "What were you thinking?"

"I thought we could handle it," Willow grumbled. "If we had just kept them contained, I could've...But we didn't, and some of them got away."

"This is getting ridiculous," Anya complained. "We're not slayers. We can't keep doing this."

"Well, what do you suggest?" Willow retorted. "Just sitting on our ass and letting evil take over Sunnydale?"

"No, I was thinking more like _saving_ our ass by getting _out_ of Sunnydale. Like Spike and Giles did."

"We can't do that, An," Xander said. "We have a responsibility. We have to keep going. It's what Buffy would do."

"Buffy's not here," Anya replied. "And that's the problem." She let out a sigh. "We need Buffy."

"Yeah," Xander said in a hopeless voice.

As Tara nodded sadly, Willow frowned and then gazed off in thought. _There's gotta be a way..._

**Fade** **Out**.

_**A FEW WEEKS LATER**_

**Fade In:**

**Heaven - Day**

While Buffy was spending most of her time on earth with Faith, Joyce was following her own line of investigation back in heaven. At the moment, she was meeting up with a friend of hers.

"Hey, Ozzie," she said as she greeted the towering, dark-skinned man.

"Joyce," he replied warmly as he took her hand and guided her to a nearby sitting area.

"Have you thought about what I said?" she asked as they sat across from one another. "About Buffy and Faith?"

"I have, and I see that it has merit," he told her solemnly. "I have reviewed their history, and I believe that you are correct. There have been definite instances of deliberate sabotage designed to thwart any relationship developing between them."

"I knew it!" Joyce exclaimed.

Ozzie continued his analysis. "When the slayers first met and became attracted to one another, what did our foes do? They brought Angel back, long before the Powers-That-Be intended to. When Buffy and Faith began to bond again in spite of Angel's presence, our enemies arranged for Angel to be haunted, causing Buffy to defend him, cling to him, and once again reject Faith's tentative outreaches to her. Using Furies, they systematically baited the slayers, trying to force them to destroy one another. The question is why."

"They're afraid of them," Joyce answered. "They're afraid of them _together_," she corrected.

Ozzie sighed and considered the idea for a moment. "It could be nothing more than simple 'divide and conquer' tactics," he suggested, playing the devil's advocate.

"I don't think so," Joyce said, thinking deeply. "They know something we don't." She turned to Ozzie with determination in her eyes. "We need Buffy and Faith together, and that means we need Faith alive and Buffy back on earth with her. Those two love each other. Nothing the other side has done has changed that. This time we're going to make sure the girls get it right. Are you in?"

Ozzie nodded. "I'm in."

**Fade To:**

**Dr. Raine's House Near Penitentiary - Day**

"Watch your step, watch your step," Dr. Raine called out cheerily as she guided her brother, Quentin Travers, through a maze of half-filled boxes.

"I see you've _finally_ started packing..." he noted.

"Don't start with me," she warned teasingly as she led him to a small breakfast nook at the back of the house. "Between my infirmary duties and working with Faith, I've scarcely had time to shower and change my clothes regularly over the last few weeks..."

As Quentin took a seat at the table, Vicky slipped into the kitchen, filled the tea kettle with water, and placed it on the stove to boil. She set two delicate cups with saucers on a tray and dropped a satiny sachet of loose tea into each one.

"Be grateful I actually have tea on hand," she told him.

By the time the kettle was whistling, she had the tray ready with napkins, spoons, sugar, and cream. She filled the cups with hot water, gave the sachets a few dunks, then brought the tray to the table. After handing her brother his cup, she sat down and took up her own.

After they had prepared their teas to taste, Quentin leaned back in his chair and regarded his sister over the rim of his cup. "So...tell me about Miss Lehane. Is she ready? And most importantly, can she be trusted?"

"Yes, and yes," Vicky answered simply. When she saw her brother roll his eyes at her overly concise response, she added, "What do you want me to say that I haven't already said? You've read my reports, we've talked on the phone...She's completely healed from her recent altercation, she's excelled at her training, she is one hundred percent ready to resume her slayer duties."

"It's not her _physical_ abilities that concern me, it's her _mental_ state." He leaned forward and set his cup on the table. "Has she shown any signs of losing control? Has she given any indication that she intends to flee once she's freed?"

"No, and no," Vicky replied, smirking a bit. Before Quentin could roll his eyes again, she went on. "Faith is determined to fulfill her duties to the best of her ability. She won't run. I'm certain of that. She feels responsible for Miss Summers' death. If anything, she'll overcompensate in an effort to assuage her guilt."

Quentin merely murmured a doubtful "hmmm" at his sister's certainties. "I'll want to speak with her myself, of course, before I finalize her release."

"I assumed you would. I've told her you'll be interviewing her tomorrow."

"Very good, very good," he said before taking a final sip of his tea and getting to his feet. When Vicky also stood, he reached out and lightly grasped her arms. "I'm thankful she didn't hurt you badly that day in the infirmary."

"She was reacting to Miss Summers' death..._grieving_...in a way we'll probably never understand. Despite their differences, they obviously shared a very unique connection."

After a brief but warm glance, Quentin cleared his throat and stepped back, all official once again. "I'll call you in the morning to confirm a time."

Vicky nodded her agreement. After a bit more small talk, she guided her brother back to the front door and saw him on his way.

When she returned to the kitchen, she cleared the table of the tea tray and came back with a glass and a bottle of scotch. She poured herself a double and took a hefty swig.

"Brother dear, I love you with all my heart, but you really _do_ need to get that cork out of your ass..."

**Fade To:**

**Penitentiary - Psych Ward - Infirmary Office - The Next Day**

When Quentin had arrived at the prison, Dr. Raine had set him up in the small infirmary office in the psych wing. He now stood behind the desk and watched as a guard escorted Faith inside. He gave the guard a curt nod, dismissing him. Then he gestured toward the chair before the desk, indicating that Faith should sit. Once they had both taken their seats, he leaned back in his chair and wove his fingers together, eyeing the slayer coolly. Faith tried not to fidget, but she found it difficult to meet the watcher's gaze for more than a few seconds at a time.

"Miss Lehane, I won't waste time with meaningless pleasantries...I have serious concerns about releasing you from prison."

"Can't say I blame you."

"So you agree that I shouldn't trust you."

"No, I didn't mean it like that. It's just...I get it if you don't. _I_ know I'll stay on the straight and narrow, but _you_ don't know that."

"Dr. Raine has given you a glowing recommendation, as I'm sure you're aware."

Faith just shrugged in response.

"If these reports had come from anyone else, I would have summarily dismissed them," he told her sternly. "But I've learned to trust my sister's judgment," he admitted begrudgingly, "even when it conflicts with my own."

Faith didn't say anything in reply. She just waited for him go on.

When he did, he leaned forward and placed his hands flat on the desk, pinning the slayer with an intense stare. "Let me be perfectly clear," he told her, "if Vicky comes to _any_ harm on your watch, you will suffer consequences far worse than a life sentence in an American prison."

"I won't let her down," Faith promised. "I swear."

After glaring at her a moment longer, Quentin straightened in his chair and then opened his briefcase. He removed a lengthy document and slid it across the desk. Then he went into an equally lengthy lecture. "The terms of your release are non-negotiable..."

Faith tried to pay attention, but her thoughts soon wandered. Although a part of her longed to be free and to be an active slayer again, the rest of her dreaded returning to Sunnydale. Being there would be a constant reminder that Buffy was gone, that she'd never see her fellow slayer again, never have the chance to say she was sorry.

She wished she could go back in time and change things-take back all the hurtful words, the hate, the violence. Most of all, she wished that she could stop Buffy's death, somehow prevent her from having to jump into that doorway to hell. But she knew she couldn't do any of those things. All she could do was try to honor Buffy's memory now, by being the best slayer she could be.

Although Faith couldn't see her guardian angel, Buffy was with her, surrounding her with love and reassurances.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale - Summers Home - The Next Evening**

It was grownup time at the Summers home. While Dawn was at the movies with friends, Willow and Tara had invited Xander and Anya over for dinner. Their meal was interrupted by the doorbell.

"I'll get it!" they heard Buffybot call out cheerily from the living room.

In the dining room, all four friends nearly choked on their food as they tried to yell out a "No!" to the robotic slayer. Despite Willow's best tinkering, Buffybot was still prone to inexplicable bouts of word salad and behaviors that non-Scoobies would certainly find bizarre. By the time they rushed into the living room, though, Buffybot had already opened the door.

Willow and the others froze when they saw Quentin Travers standing on the other side of the threshold.

Buffybot searched her database and immediately spit out the results. "You're Quentin Travers, Head of the Watchers Council...total British tight ass..." she announced. Then she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. "I don't believe my biological predecessor would appreciate your presence."

"Buffy, it's all right," Willow interjected. "Let him in."

"Okay!" Buffybot chirped and instantly stepped aside.

"Thank you," Quentin said tersely to Willow before passing by Buffybot without a word.

"W-W-What are you doing here?" Willow asked, casting a nervous glance at her friends, fearing that the Council had gotten word of their plan to resurrect Buffy.

"I have news," he answered. "May we sit?"

"Uhh, sure," Willow said, gesturing toward the couch and chairs. Within seconds, they were all seated.

"First of all, I'd like to, ahem, thank you," Quentin said, "not only for your assistance to Miss Summers during her service but also for your undertaking of the slayer's duties after her death."

The Scoobies looked on with surprise, never expecting even reluctant gratitude from the normally dictatorial head of the Council. However, they didn't have to wait long for the watcher they all knew and loathed to quickly return.

"Secondly, I'm here to inform you that the Council will be reinstating Faith Lehane as the slayer here in Sunnydale."

"What?" Willow objected. "She's in prison. For _murder_. And you want to let her go?"

"The world needs the slayer," Quentin countered. "And, despite your mechanical replica, Miss Lehane is the only one we have. Besides, her watcher tells me that she's reformed, and I'm inclined to believe the assessment."

"Faith's _watcher_?" Xander replied. "What? Some clueless Wesley clone who's spent less than fifteen minutes with her?"

"Certainly not!" Quentin shot back. "Do you think I'd entrust this endeavor to his like?"

"You did before," Xander pointed out.

"Faith's watcher is my _sister_, Dr. Victoria Raine. She's been serving as the prison physician for nearly all of Faith's time there. She's had ample opportunity to observe her. Although my sister does have a bit of an idealistic streak, I trust her implicitly."

Quentin got to his feet and looked down at the Scoobies imperiously. "This was just a courtesy call. The Council needs neither your permission nor your approval to reinstate Miss Lehane here in Sunnydale. Any interference with her reinstatement or with her fulfillment of her duties will _not_ be tolerated. Dr. Raine will be contacting you soon with details."

At that, Travers turned on his heel and left the house. For a moment, the Scoobies said nothing, too much in shock to form words. Then Willow spoke up.

"Who does he think he is?" the witch complained. "Mr. High and Mighty. We helped save the freakin' world, more than once, in case he's forgotten."

Xander shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe the Council is getting her out of prison-letting that psychopath back on the streets."

"And arming her with weapons," Anya added.

"But...her watcher, this Dr. Raine, thinks that Faith has changed," Tara pointed out. "Maybe we shouldn't judge until we see for ourselves. I mean, everybody deserves a second chance...right, Anya?"

"Well, I can't argue with that," the ex-demon conceded.

"She _got_ a second chance," Xander said, "and she used it to team up with the Mayor. In my book, she's out of chances."

"Plus, we don't need her," Willow said firmly.

"But...what if the ritual doesn't work?" Tara asked, wincing a bit. "We're doing okay holding down the fort, but that can't last. Word's bound to get out about Buffy, and we're already seeing more demons than usual. The hellmouth needs a slayer-a _real _slayer." Tara looked over at Buffybot. "No offense."

"None taken," Buffybot replied with a smile.

"And we'll get one," Willow insisted. "The ritual _will_ work. All we have to do is get our hands on the Urn of Osiris. It's the one missing piece. We find that, then Buffy's as good as back."

**Fade** **Out**.

_**SEVERAL WEEKS LATER**_

**Fade In:**

**Penitentiary - Exercise Field Off Psych Ward - Day**

In the yard Faith was working out at the chin-up bars. On one set of bars, she went through a dozen chin-ups, reversed her grip to palm out, then did a dozen pull-ups. After letting herself drop to the ground, she shook out her arms. She moved over to the higher bar on the end, where Dr. Raine had installed a punching bag for her. She took a deep breath, then started pummeling the heavy bag. The bag shook on its chain as she delivered blow after blow, varying the pace, the target, and the strength of her punches. By the time she heard Dr. Raine calling out her name, she had worked up quite a sweat. She laid one final punch into the bag then walked to where her watcher was waiting beside a bench.

"What's up, Doc?" Faith asked.

Dr. Raine had long since given up on correcting Faith's shortening of her title and name. She made no mention of it and instead pointed toward the bench. When Faith sat down with her, she handed over a bottle of water, which the slayer gratefully took and instantly downed.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news," Dr. Raine reported. "Well, not 'bad' really, just a bit disappointing."

"What?"

"The house that Quentin's rented for me in Sunnydale...it's not going to be available as soon as scheduled."

"Oh. So I guess we're not headin' to the hellmouth any time soon?"

"It's just as well," the doctor said. "I've still got an enormous amount of packing to do, and I'm not yet satisfied with the transitioning of the new physician who will be taking my place here."

Faith slumped a little in disappointment. She set down her empty water bottle, pulled a cigarette and a book of matches from her pocket, struck a match, and lit her cigarette.

"It's okay. I get it," she said, taking a deep drag then blowing a cloud of smoke away from her watcher. Suddenly, a grin spread over her face, and she turned back to Dr. Raine.

"_Unlessssss_...you wanna send me on ahead, all early-like..." she suggested with eyebrows raised invitingly.

When the older woman started to get that "now, now" look on her face, Faith cut her off.

"Didn't the Scoobs tell ya things have been extra demony lately? The sitch could go downhill super fast without a real slayer bein' down there. I mean, I know they got that robot and all, but it's not the same."

Dr. Raine crossed her arms and started to shake her head. Faith kept at her.

"Oh, come on...I'm goin' stir crazy in here, and it's not like I don't already know my way around the place," she pleaded good-naturedly. Then she sobered and said, "Seriously...I'm ready. You can trust me."

Dr. Raine reached over and patted Faith's arm. "I know, dear. I just don't feel comfortable sending you there by yourself. Every slayer needs her watcher."

Faith shot her a teasing smile and took another drag off her cigarette. "You just don't want Big Brother ridin' your ass about it."

Dr. Raine narrowed her eyes at her slayer. "Very sneaky...pushing the ole sibling rivalry button..."

Faith grinned unrepentantly. "Did it work?"

The watcher made a grouchy grumble and got to her feet. When she met Faith's gaze again, she asked, "And where would you stay? My house isn't going to be ready."

"There's plenty o' motels and hotels around there," Faith answered as she stood up. "I mean, it's only for a week or so, right?"

Dr. Raine rolled her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "Very well," she relented, "but _only_ because I'm concerned about the increase in the demonic activity. Putting a knot in my brother's knickers has had no influence in my decision whatsoever."

"Sweet!" Faith crowed, cocking her fist. Then she surprised her watcher by giving her a sudden hug. "Thanks, Doc!"

When the hug was over, Dr. Raine waved her hand in the air to drive away the smoke. Then she pointed at Faith. "There will be _no_ smoking in the house!" she sternly informed the slayer. "So I suggest that you dispose of that habit before I arrive in Sunnydale."

"No problem," Faith said, tossing her cigarette to the ground and crushing it under her shoe. Then she placed her right hand over her heart and raised her left hand as if swearing an oath. "Scout's honor," she promised.

Dr. Raine smiled then said, "I'll go make the arrangements with the warden and order your bus ticket. After that, I'll call Miss Rosenberg and let her know to expect you within the next few days."

"Great!" Faith replied excitedly as her watcher turned and went back inside.

Slowly, Faith felt her enthusiasm deflate a bit when she considered how the redhead and her friends would react to the news of the schedule change-not to mention to her actual arrival in Sunnydale.

"Yeah...they're gonna be thrilled..." Faith mumbled.

**Fade In:**

**Sunnydale - The Magic Box - Later That Day**

As Anya checked out a customer, Tara gave her a hand by answering the phone.

"Magic Box," Tara answered. "Oh, D-D-Dr. Raine, hi..." she said, nervously glancing over at Willow and Xander, who sat at the table nearby. "W-W-We're good. You?...Good, that's good...A couple of days?...No, it's just, we weren't expecting her to come so soon, that's all...O-O-Okay, sure. We'll, um, get ready, I guess. Good luck with the move." Tara hung up the phone.

By then, Willow, Xander, and Anya had gathered around her. "What'd she say?" Willow asked.

"Faith will be here in a couple of days. Dr. Raine can't get away quite yet, so she's sending Faith on alone."

"Damn it," Willow said at the news. Then she turned to Anya, "Is the Urn in yet?"

"No," Anya replied, "but Cairo-Casanova assures me it will arrive late this afternoon."

"Cairo-Casanova?" Xander asked, confused.

"The desert gnome I got the urn from," Anya explained. "That's his eBay name."

Tara's eyes went wide. "You found the last known Urn of Osiris on _eBay_?"

"Yeah, he drove a really hard bargain, too, but I finally got him to throw in a limited edition Backstreet Boys lunchbox for a-"

Xander coughed. Anya paused. Xander looked nervous.

"-a friend," Anya finished.

Tara shot Xander a knowing smile.

Willow shook off her annoyance and went on in a determined voice. "Okay, then, once the urn gets here, it'll be time."

"It's time?" Xander asked anxiously, "Like, _time_ time? With the..." He made a vague hand gesture. "...timeliness?"

"Are you sure?" Anya asked quietly.

"I am," Willow replied resolutely.

Willow returned to the table and began putting her things in a bag.

"But why the sudden rushy-rush?" Xander hedged. "I mean, whoa! Let's apply the brakes and check the rear- and side-view mirrors here." When he had their attention, he went on. "This is deep stuff, Willow. We're talking about raising the dead."

"It's time we stopped talking. Tomorrow night...we're bringing Buffy back."

"Tomorrow? I don't know..." Xander said.

"Um, Di-Discovery Channel has monkeys," Anya interjected. "And our tape machine's all wonky."

"Guys, I need you on board here," Willow told them.

"It's just..." Xander fidgeted nervously. "It feels wrong."

"It is wrong," Tara said, surprising Willow. "It's against all the laws of nature, and practically impossible to do, but it's what we agreed to. If-if you guys are changing your minds-"

"Nobody's changing their minds," Willow stated. "Period."

"Excuse me? Who made you the boss of the group?" Xander questioned.

"You did," Anya answered.

"You said Willow should be boss..." Tara added.

"...and then you said, 'let's vote,' and it was unanimous..."

"...and then you made her this little plaque, that said 'Boss of Us,' and you put little sparkles on it..."

"Valid points, all," Xander stipulated to Anya and Tara. "But we...I mean...we were just talking then."

"Xander, I can do this," Willow promised. "But not without you."

"But...what if something does go wrong?" Tara dared to venture.

"I'm telling you it won't."

"Okay, Scenario," Xander offered, "we raise Buffy from the grave, she tries to eat our brains. Do we, (a) congratulate ourselves on a job well done-"

"Xander, this isn't zombies," Willow corrected.

"Zombies don't eat brains anyway unless instructed to by their zombie masters," Anya supplied. "A lot of people get that wrong."

"This isn't like Dawn trying to bring Mrs. Summers back, or anything we've dealt with before," Willow explained. "Buffy didn't die a natural death. She was killed by mystical energy."

"Which means we do have a shot," Tara added.

"It means more than that," Willow said before turning to Xander. "It means we don't know...where she really is."

"We know where she is, Will," Xander said. "We saw her body. We buried it."

"Her body, yeah," Willow said. "But her soul...her essence...it's somewhere else. She could be trapped, in-in some sort of hell dimension like Angel was..." Tears filled Willow's eyes as she went on. "...suffering eternal torment, just because she saved us, saved the world, and I'm not gonna let-I'm not gonna leave her there. It's _Buffy_."

Xander looked at her for a long moment before finally saying, "What time do we meet?"

"Ten o'clock," Willow answered. "You're on Dawn duty. Then Anya and Tara and I will head for the gravesite. Before the tomorrow night is out, we're gonna have Buffy back."

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale - Street Alley - Hours Later**

The night was dark and quiet; the street was deserted but for one. A young woman was closing up her shop. She locked the door and turned to walk down the street, putting her keys into her purse.

At one point she paused and looked behind herself, then walked on. A little further down the street, she paused again, looked back, then rapidly resumed her walking.

When she entered an alley, a vampire grabbed her from behind, causing her to scream in terror. He pulled her back against him and prepared to bite down on her neck.

"Don't be scared..." he suddenly heard another female voice say. The vampire glanced up in surprise and saw a small blonde woman standing in front of him.

"...I'm going to kill him," Buffybot finished.

"Slayer!" the vampire exclaimed in fear.

"You can run away now," Buffybot told the shopkeeper.

The woman wrested herself out of the vampire's grip and ran out of the alley. The vampire tried to edge away as well.

Buffybot rolled her eyes. "Not you!"

When Buffybot ran after him, the vampire pushed a dumpster into her path. She vaulted over it and landed on top of him, knocking him down. When they both got up, she brought him down again with a circle kick. When he rose again, she punched him and then kicked him to the ground.

He crawled toward an empty glass bottle, grabbed it, and then hit Buffybot in the face with it. When she stumbled back, he scrambled to his feet. When the slayer straightened up, he saw that the broken glass had torn a hole in her forehead. But instead of blood and flesh, though, he saw circuitry and sparks. His eyes went wide.

"You're...you're...you're, you're a machine!" he accused.

Buffybot smiled. "Thank you!" Then she saw the vampire backing away. "Stop!"

When she tried to follow him, she walked directly into a stack of large kegs. She backed up a few steps and repeated her attempt, with the same result.

"Vampires...beware..." she warned as she continued walking into the kegs again and again.

The vampire grinned at the sight of damaged slayer robot. "Bet the Hellions will let me in now," he said to himself before dashing off down the alley.

**Fade To:**

**Bus Station Near Penitentiary - The Next Day - Early Evening**

Faith was out of her prison blues and back into street clothes, grateful to be in her apparel of choice-jeans, t-shirt, leather jacket, and boots. She carried a duffel bag over her shoulder as she and Dr. Raine stood in the waiting area near the exit to the bus bays.

"Are you sure you have everything?" Dr. Raine asked worriedly.

"Yes, for the fiftieth time, yes," Faith replied with a smile. "Clothes, shoes, toiletries...in the bag," she said, patting the duffel. "Cash, license, calling card...in the wallet," she said, patting the back pocket of her jeans. "Stake, dagger...in the jacket. Bus ticket in hand. I'm good."

Dr. Raine nodded but kept her worried expression. "I'll be along shortly, I promise, just as soon as I can wrap things up here."

"I know," Faith groaned teasingly. She gave her watcher's arm a small poke. "I'll be five-by-five, don't you worry..."

"I'd feel better about this if I knew that Mr. Giles was still there..."

"Bus 435 southbound to Glenview, San Luce, and Sunnydale...Bay Three..." came the announcement over the intercom.

"That's me," Faith said. "See you in a few..." she told Dr. Raine as she backed toward the exit. With a final wave to her watcher, she turned and headed for her bus.

As she watched Faith leave, Dr. Raine prayed for her slayer's safety and prayed for herself, that she wouldn't regret her decision to send Faith to Sunnydale alone.

**Cut To:**

**Demon Bar Hours From Sunnydale - Same Time **

An hour north of the penitentiary, in a nothing of a town, on a nothing of a highway, was a dump of a biker bar. Outside, there were the expected lines of parked motorcycles. Inside, however, were the unexpected operators of those vehicles-demon bikers who called themselves the Hellions.

The ugly, large, leather-clad demons milled about, drinking beer and laughing raucously. At the moment, the Hellion called Mag was in the process of dragging a pudgy weakling vampire toward the gang's boss, Razor.

"What's the wannabe blood rat doin' back here?" Razor asked.

"He says the slayer's been replaced by some kind of machine," Mag answered.

"A robot, yeah!" the vampire interjected. "And I kicked her synthetic ass. You shoulda seen the sparks."

Razor got up and walked over to the vamp. "You tellin' me there's no slayer in Sunnydale?"

"That's what I'm saying," the vampire replied, trying to act tough. "They got some kind of decoy standing in for her. Town is wide open."

"Nowhere like the Hellmouth for a party," Mag noted. "There's all kinds of bad in that place."

Razor nodded thoughtfully. He and his cronies all began to laugh.

The vamp laughed, too, then dared to ask, "So...does that mean I can be a Hellion?"

Razor stopped laughing and grabbed him by the neck and squeezed. "No," he said, easily decapitating the vamp. He brushed the ash off his hands then glanced around the room. All of his demon buddies were watching and waiting for the word.

"Let's ride!" the gang leader called out. They all cheered and turned to go.

Soon the Hellions were riding off in a cloud of dust on their motorcycles.

_**TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 06...**_


	6. Chapter 6

**FOLLOW YOUR HEART**

**By DragonWriter17**

**PART 06**

_**Author's Note:**__ Just a reminder to bear with me regarding the rehashing of parts of "Bargaining I and II" (with changes, of course). It's necessary._

**Fade In:**

**Greyhound Bus To Sunnydale - Night**

As the bus approached the outer limits of Sunnydale, most of the few remaining passengers were still sleeping. They had long since turned off their reading lamps and dozed off. Faith, however, was too nervous for napping. She fidgeted in her window seat, taking turns between staring out the window to her right and glancing around the dimly lit cabin. Guardian Angel Buffy was in the empty seat next to Faith. She rested an ethereal hand on Faith's thigh and tried to surround the worried slayer with a sense of calm.

More than once, Faith started to pull her pack of Luckys from her jacket pocket; each time she stopped herself when she remembered that she couldn't smoke on the bus. On her last reach for her cigarettes, her fingers landed on the one thing she considered to be a prized possession-the strip of photo booth pictures of herself with Buffy. She removed the strip, which was folded in half with the photos facing out. She smiled when she looked at the first two frames. The two slayers had engaged in typical photo booth behavior and had hammed it up for the camera, striking goofy poses and making silly faces.

For a brief moment, Faith looked away and wondered what it would be like to see the "Buffybot," if the android was actually as realistic as Quentin had said. Then she turned her eyes back to her photos and let her thoughts drift to happy memories of the past.

**Cut To:**

**Series of Shots - Sunnydale Flashbacks**

- Buffy and Faith high-fiving after their synchronized vamp slaying

- The two of them laughing and sharing stories while patrolling

- Faith mercilessly tickling Buffy in a sparring session gone awry

- The girls lounging comfortably on the Summers couch with their feet propped up on the coffee table as they ate popcorn and watched movies

- The slayers dancing wildly at the Bronze with one another

- Buffy allowing Faith to pull her into a slow dance when the music shifted

**Cut To:**

**Greyhound Bus To Sunnydale - Resume**

Faith sighed and turned the strip of photos over to look at the other two frames. The third one showed Buffy and Faith kissing passionately; the fourth showed them staring intensely at one another. For the longest time, Faith sat there, gently running her thumb against Buffy's cheek in the picture of them kissing.

But then her mind took her back to the spiral of events that had followed their moment in the photo booth.

**Cut To:**

**Series of Shots - Sunnydale Flashbacks**

- Deputy Mayor Allen Finch gurgling with Faith's stake in his chest

- Xander pulling at Faith's hands as she choked him

- Buffy's head snapping to the side when Faith punched the chained slayer

- Willow panting for breath as Faith held a knife to her throat

- Angel sinking to the ground after being pierced by Faith's poisoned arrow

- Buffy looking back at Faith atop the theater

- The two slayers fighting like mad women at Faith's apartment until Buffy stabbed Faith in the stomach

- Faith letting herself fall from the roof of her building

- Faith waking up alone and confused in the basement of the hospital

- Faith seeing Buffy with Riley at Giles's apartment

- Joyce hitting the floor after being decked by the vengeful Faith

- The slayers battling at the Summers home and then the church

- Faith sobbing in a railway car on her way out of Sunnydale

**Cut To:**

**Greyhound Bus To Sunnydale - Resume**

Faith closed her eyes and tried to push the bad memories from her mind. She knew that dwelling on them wouldn't change anything. Buffy and Joyce were gone, and even if they weren't, they probably wouldn't forgive her. And the others-well, she figured she had about a snowball's chance in hell of them giving her another chance.

When she saw her slayer frowning, Buffy began to caress Faith's forehead and whisper comforting words to her. As soon as Faith started to relax, though, a rapidly approaching roar made Faith's eyes shoot open.

The slayer stood up and turned around, but the bus had no back window. When the roar came alongside the bus, she rushed right through her invisible angel, crossed the aisle, crawled over the empty seats, and glanced out of the window. She saw a long line of bikers pass the bus at a high rate of speed. Although she hadn't been able to get a good look at the bikers because of the darkness, she had an uneasy feeling about them. After watching the last set of tail lights disappear, she sank into seat she was at.

Buffy seemed as unsettled by the motorcycle gang as Faith was. She stood up and stepped into the aisle, glancing worriedly at the bikers in the far distance before finally turning back to Faith. Before she could return to her place beside the slayer, her mother suddenly materialized in front of her.

Joyce took hold of her daughter's arm and said, "Buffy, I need you to come with me. _Now_."

"No," Buffy refused, pulling her arm out of her mother's grip. "I'm not leaving Faith. Not when she's so close to Sunnydale. I don't know what's going to happen, _when_ it's going to happen, I have to be there, I have to be ready, maybe I can-"

"Honey, it's important."

Buffy saw both the seriousness and the urgency in her mother's eyes. "What is it?" she made herself ask.

"I think we found a way to help Faith," Joyce answered.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale - Buffy's Grave - Night**

While Xander watched Dawn back at the Summers home, Willow, Tara, and Anya knelt around Buffy's grave-Willow at its base, Tara and Anya on its sides. Tara and Anya held lit candles. Willow held the Urn of Osiris-a flower-vase-sized vessel of red clay etched with Egyptian hieroglyphs.

As Tara and Anya looked on nervously, Willow began the ritual. She produced a small jar and poured its contents into the urn.

"Osiris, keeper of the gate, master of all fate, hear us."

She dipped her finger into the urn and marked her forehead and both cheeks with what appeared to be blood.

"Before time...and after. Before knowing...and nothing."

She poured the contents of the urn onto the earth and set the urn on the grave.

"Accept our offering. Know our prayer."

Suddenly, she jerked backward, panting, and her arms fly out at her sides. Deep ugly gashes appeared on her arms.

"Willow!" Tara reached out in alarm.

"No!" Anya reminded the blonde. "She told us she'd be tested. This is supposed to happen."

"Osiris!" Willow called out. "Here lies the warrior of the people. Let her cross over."

Willow winced and moaned in pain. Blood ran from the cuts on her arms, and round shapes began moving under her skin. The round things moved up her arms and over her chest toward her neck.

"She needs help!" Tara insisted.

"She's strong!" Anya countered. "She said not to stop, no matter what. If we break the cycle now, it's over."

Willow continued breathing heavily. When Anya and Tara heard a loud rumbling nearby, they looked around nervously.

"Oh god, what is that noise?" Anya asked.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale - Main Street - Same Time**

People screamed in fear as demons on motorcycles roared through the downtown area. The rampaging Hellions drove over cars, through curbside restaurant tables, and between pedestrians.

One demon grabbed a woman and pulled her onto his bike. Several others threw garbage cans through windows and hit cars with baseball cats. One Hellion lit a Molotov cocktail and threw it through a store window.

Pedestrians continued screaming and running away.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale - Buffy's Grave - Resume**

Willow still knelt with her arms held out, panting. The others watched with concern as she forced herself to yell, "_Osiris, let her cross over!_"

When the round things under her skin moved up her neck, Willow began to choke.

"Oh my god, oh my god..." Tara cried.

Still gagging, Willow leaned forward and put her hands on the ground. A snake head appeared in her open mouth. As she clutched the grass, the snake slithered out of her mouth and onto the ground. The others looked horrified.

"It's a test, it's a test," Tara repeated to herself. Then she whimpered, "Willow..."

As Willow straightened up, a reddish-orange light engulfed her. She cried out in pain as the energies racked her body.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale - Main Street - Same Time**

The demons were still running rampant, pillaging and destroying everything in their path. As people could be heard screaming, a couple of demons rummaged through a woman's purse. The Hellion Mag was taking stuff out of a smashed window display when he heard a stern voice behind him.

"That doesn't belong to you," the voice said.

Mag turned and saw Buffybot standing there with her hands on hips.

"Put it back," Buffybot commanded.

Mag opened his mouth and let out a high-pitched squeal. All the other demons turned his way. Buffybot looked around nervously as the demons began to converge on her. Razor came right up to her as the others formed a circle around them.

"Slayer," Razor said, "I've been hearing interesting things about you."

"Yes. I am interesting," Buffybot replied. "These your friends?"

"They're my boys, yeah."

"Good. Now tell them to get back on their loud bicycles and go back wherever they came from."

"Or what?" Razor asked snidely. "You'll electrocute us?"

He punched her in the face. She staggered back into a couple of other demons, who caught her and held her arms.

"Hold her," Razor ordered.

Buffybot struggled as Razor came forward and lifted his hand, revealing a set of ugly claws. Then an even uglier set of serrated metal claws popped out at the ends of his fingers.

He reached out and swiped at Buffybot. The claws ripped slashes in her shirt and shoulder. Blue sparks sizzled from the wounds.

"You're nothing but a toy," he told her. "A pretty toy. Wanna play?"

He moved a little closer, and Buffybot kneed him in the groin. As he doubled over, she went into a back flip, kicking him in the face with both feet and breaking free from her captors.

"I would, but you've injured me," Buffybot announced. "I have to return to Willow."

She turned and delivered spin-kicks to two of the demons, laid out four or five more of them in quick succession with kicks and punches. She leaped over the prone bodies and ran off.

Razor lifted up onto an elbow. "Get her!" he bellowed.

A few more demons tried to stop Buffybot, but she punched them out of the way. The rest of the demons got on their bikes and tore off after her.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale - Buffy's Grave - Resume**

Anya and Tara continued staring as reddish light swirled around Willow, who was forcing her way through the rest of the ritual.

"Osiris...release her!" she demanded between heaving breaths just as Buffybot ran up behind Tara.

"Willow! I need service!" Buffybot informed Willow.

At the sound of approaching motorcycles, Buffybot ran away, only to be cut off by the Hellions who had been chasing her. The demons rode their bikes around Buffybot and around the grave, forcing Anya and Tara to move away. Willow, though, was still trapped within the energies of the spell.

"Willow!" Tara cried out just as one of the demons drove directly over the Urn of Osiris, shattering it.

"Nooooo!" Willow screamed as the orange light instantly dissipated. She fell to the ground unconscious.

Tara called out Willow's name again and ran forward, but Mag rode in front of her, cutting her off. She screamed and moved back.

"Look what I found!" Mag bragged as he and his brothers rode circles around Buffybot.

Eventually Tara and Anya saw an opening in the chaos and dashed forward. They grabbed Willow and pulled her out of the way just as Mag rode his bike through the spot where Willow had been lying.

Tara whipped around and sent a magic bolt against Mag. He flew off his bike and crashed into a tree. The other demons continued to move in on Buffybot.

Tara and Anya picked Willow up and carried her away. After a few minutes of running, they had to stop, too tired to go on. They hid behind some bushes and tried to catch their breath. Willow started to mumble.

Tara cradled Willow's head in her lap. "Willow! Are you okay?"

Willow weakly blinked her eyes open. "Did it work?"

Tara shook her head. "No, I'm sorry."

Willow passed out again.

Tara touched Willow's face and then turned to Anya. "We need to get her home."

With the sound of motorcycles roaring around, they picked Willow back up and headed away.

**Cut To:**

**Heaven - The Gateway - Same Time**

When Joyce and her daughter zapped back to Heaven, Buffy found herself in an area she had never seen before. The room was immense, and everything inside it was made of stone and covered in hieroglyphs.

In the center of the room was a black pit swirling with energy. Near it, at a stone table, was a tall, dark-skinned man that Buffy vaguely recognized as one of the very important higher-ups in the heavenly hierarchy.

"Isn't that-?" Buffy asked.

"Osiris? Yes, it is," Joyce supplied. She turned to him and asked, "Is everything ready, Ozzie?"

He gazed into a bowl that he had been monitoring and said, "Yes, but we have to hurry."

"Mom, what's going on?" Buffy inquired. "You said you found a way to help Faith."

"We did, but...there's a catch. Several, actually." 

"I don't care," Buffy said. "Just help me save Faith."

Joyce took a deep breath and let it out. "The only way we could come up with was for you to return to earth as your human self."

"That's fine," Buffy insisted. "I'll go back. Just get me there."

"There's more," Joyce told her. "I wish we had an easier way, but without the assistance of the Powers-That-Be, we don't. This is all we've got, and I hate to tell you, but it's going to hurt like hell."

"Hey, I was the slayer," Buffy quipped. "I ate pain for lunch."

Joyce shook her head and met Buffy's eyes. "Not pain like this."

Buffy sobered and for a moment seemed worried. Then she affirmed, "I can handle it."

Joyce gave a nod of acknowledgment and then went on. "Also, you won't remember anything from your time here in heaven. You'll remember your own past and how you died, and you'll remember that you were in heaven, but that's all. You won't remember any details, including the real reason you're going back."

"What?" Buffy exclaimed. "How can I help Faith if I can't remember why I'm there?"

Joyce gently rested her palm on Buffy's chest. "Honey, you'll just have to follow your heart."

Buffy thought a bit, calmed herself, and then put her hand over her mother's. "Okay, I can do that."

"It's time," they both heard Osiris say. When they looked, they saw that he had moved to the edge of the pit.

"I'm ready," Buffy said, joining him beside the portal. "What do I have to do?"

"Everything is prepared," he answered. "All you have to do...is _Fall_." Then he tilted his head toward the swirling blackness.

Buffy turned and looked down. She swallowed hard as she stared at the massive maelstrom of energy. After stepping to its very edge, she steeled herself, fanned out her wings, and dove right in.

While plummeting toward the earth, she cried out in indescribable pain as every aspect of her heavenly self was stripped from her being. Those same cries became screams of utter agony when, in the last moments of her fall, her angel's wings were ripped from her body.

_**TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 07...**_


	7. Chapter 7

**FOLLOW YOUR HEART**

**By DragonWriter17**

**PART 07**

**Fade In:**

**Greyhound Bus - Night**

Just as the bus hit the city limits of Sunnydale, Faith was struck by a crushing pain that raced through her body. She cried out and tried to rise from her seat, but instead she fell to the floor of the bus, screaming and writhing in agony.

The passengers closest to her at first moved in her direction but then backed away in fear when they saw the intensity of her reaction.

**Cut To:**

**Series of Shots - Buffy in her Coffin/Faith on the Greyhound Bus**

- Buffy screaming as her Fall ended with her resurrection inside her buried coffin

- Faith still screaming on the floor of the bus

- Buffy wailing in anguish then realizing where she was

- Faith curling onto her side and crying

- Buffy weeping as she frantically pounded the sides of the coffin and ripped at the cloth covering the inside of the lid

- Faith flipping onto her back and tearing at her clothes

**Cut To:**

**Greyhound Bus - Resume**

"What the hell's going on?" the bus driver called out as he looked into the mirror that allowed him to view the cabin behind him.

"This girl's freaking out, man!" yelled a scraggly haired teen with headphones around his neck.

"She must be having some kind of seizure!" an older woman exclaimed.

"Just keep back, don't try to hold her down..." the driver instructed. "Somebody call 911, I'll try and pull-oh _shit_!"

When the driver dropped his eyes from the mirror back to the four-lane road, he saw a mob of demon bikers barreling towards him. He swerved sharply to the right, causing the wheels of the bus to slide onto the rough slope of the shoulder.

As he struggled to maintain control, the passengers were tossed about the cabin. They screamed and tried to hang on. Faith, however, was oblivious to the motion of the bus, still caught in a nightmare of pain that she didn't understand.

When the driver attempted to pull back onto the highway, he overcompensated, and the bus veered across the lanes and into the median. It hit the divider at just the right angle and went airborne. The bus reared up into the air, twisted, and then slammed down onto the driver's side.

After skidding down the asphalt, the bus came to a stop. Several of the passengers were crying and groaning as they dragged themselves to their feet. With the bus on its side, they had to stand on the shattered driver's-side windows. When they glanced around the cabin, they saw that the driver and a man who had been seated near him were both dead. When they looked at the back of the bus, they saw Faith lying contorted and motionless amidst the broken glass and damaged seats. Assuming that she was also dead, the surviving passengers found the escape hatch on the roof, kicked it open, and crawled outside.

Once they got outside the bus, they found themselves under attack by the biker demons who had caused the wreck in the first place. The Hellions rode circles around the frightened passengers, preventing them from moving away from the wreckage. Then suddenly one of the demons lit a Molotov cocktail and threw it at the bus. The bottle crashed into the roof and exploded, sending tongues of fire against the backs of the fleeing passengers and into the open escape hatch.

Inside the bus, Faith moaned as she slowly regained consciousness. As soon as she was able to shake some of the fuzziness from her head, she felt massive panic set in. The bus was on fire, and she was trapped within the twisted remains of the row of seats she'd been in. Panting for breath in the increasingly smoky cabin, she fought to pull her legs from the misshapen bus seats.

When she had finally freed herself, she stood and glanced toward the growing fire inside the bus. She could see that there was no way out but up. She climbed up the row of seats above her until she got to the window on the passenger side of the bus. She used one hand to hang on to the seat and the other to punch the window with her fist. It cracked but didn't break. She hit it again.

**Cut To:**

**Buffy's Grave -Same Time**

Buffy relentlessly punched the coffin's exposed wooden lid, pummeling it until her fist eventually cracked through. She pulled away piece after piece of broken wood, causing dirt to rain down upon her. She was drawing in ragged, panicked breaths when she finally cleared enough of the lid to escape.

As she crawled through the opening, the jagged edges of the wood bit into her flesh and ripped her clothes. She ignored the pain, focusing only on digging through the dank, dark, heavy earth. She forced her way to the top until she emerged from the grave, clawing herself across the grassy soil.

Struggling to her feet, she stood beside her grave, looking lost and confused.

**Cut To:**

**Greyhound Bus - Resume**

Just as Faith nearly succumbed to the smoke, the window above her finally shattered, and she pulled herself up through the broken glass. Coughing for air, she dragged herself across the side of the bus and slid over the edge.

Her body hit the pavement with a thud. She groaned and grimaced then forced herself to jump up. Just as she started dashing away, the fire reached the gas tank, and the bus blew. The explosion sent Faith reeling to the ground. She immediately got back up and kept running.

Once she was a safe distance away, she stopped and caught her breath. She turned around and stared in shock as the wreckage was consumed by the intense flames.

It took a few seconds for Faith to register the rest of the scene around her. Over the roar of the bus fire, she heard motorcycles revving and rumbling and people screaming. When she turned around, she saw one group of demon bikers smashing into a convenience store and another set chasing people in the parking lot.

"Welcome back to the hellmouth, Faith! Gee, thanks," she quipped to herself as she surveyed the chaotic scene. Then she pulled her dagger from her jacket and ran for the store at slayer speed.

**Cut** **To**:

**Convenience** **Store** - **Seconds** **Later**

When the Hellion named Clyed stepped out of the store's busted front window with a buddy of his, he nearly dropped the cases of beer he was carrying. He couldn't believe his eyes. A small girl with long dark hair was whaling into his brothers. She had already downed one and was just in the process of clothes-lining another from his bike.

"Slayer!" Clyed exclaimed in surprise.

"But I thought Sunnydale wasn't supposed to have a slayer," his buddy said.

"Well, you thought wrong," Faith called out as she stabbed the demon she had knocked from his bike. "That's right," she added with a smile as she headed toward the beer-stealing duo. "There's a new sheriff in town..."

The two demons tossed their beer and ran for their motorcycles.

"Hey!" Faith shouted. "Get back here!" Then she took off after them.

Clyed's bike started immediately, and he zoomed away. His buddy wasn't so lucky. By the time he got his bike started, Faith was on him. She leaped onto his back, snapped his neck, and tossed him off the bike. Before the motorcycle could even hit the ground, she caught it, righted it, and slipped onto its seat. With an ear splitting screech of tires, she sped away after Clyed.

**Cut To:**

**Downtown - Same Time**

Meanwhile, Buffy had trudged from the hidden site of her grave to the edges of the downtown area. In her tattered and dirty funeral clothes, she stumbled along the streets, crying, her whole upper body heaving from the force of her sobs. At one point she stopped and bent over at the waist, hugging herself tightly.

No word existed for the kind of agony she was experiencing. Every nerve in her body was screaming "pain!" at the same time, and her soul was crying out in utter anguish, and she didn't even know why. She finally had to slip to her knees until the worst of her sobs had passed.

Eventually, she somehow pulled herself together enough to stand again and then resumed her walking. She didn't know where she was going; she just knew she needed to keep moving. As she walked, she repeatedly straightened her back and shifted her arms, unable to relieve the sharp pain that burned at her shoulder blades.

When she drew closer to Main Street, she winced at the lights and sounds. She saw several of the biker demons destroying a store front, but she made no move to intervene. They ignored her as well, too intent on their looting to care about the lone, lost-looking human wandering the streets.

When Buffy came to a burning car, she walked past it, squinting and frowning at it. Then a Hellion rumbled by on his motorcycle and smashed an empty beer bottle to the pavement. Buffy backed away, frightened.

**Cut To:**

**Wooded Area - Same Time**

Clyed had tried to lose the slayer by leaving the pavement and driving off into the woods, but the effort had failed. She was right on his tail and quickly closing.

Just as she came alongside his motorcycle, ready to jump him, her bike hit a log. The bike stopped short, but unfortunately, she didn't. Her momentum flung her forward, and she tumbled through leaves, logs, and rocks before landing on her back on a grassy area. Clyed sped away on his bike through the forest.

"Owww...fuck..." Faith groaned. "This is the part I _don't_ miss about slaying..."

When she rolled onto her stomach and got to her knees, she noticed that she had been lying across the top part of a grave. She took one look at the headstone and felt her heart seize.

_**Buffy Anne Summers**_

_1981-2001_

_Beloved Sister_

_Devoted Friend_

_She Saved The World_

_A Lot_

As she stared at the inscription, tears welled up in her eyes. "Buffy..." she whispered, reaching out to touch the carved stone.

When she finally tore her gaze from the headstone, she realized that the grave itself was disturbed. Directly to her left was a gaping hole. When she looked down inside, she could see that the coffin had been broken into.

"Son of a bitch!" she swore, thinking that the biker demons had stolen Buffy's body. "Fuckin' son of a bitch!"

She whipped around and glared back in the direction of the town, where the Hellions were undoubtedly still wreaking havoc.

"I'm gonna kill 'em," she growled. "Gonna kill 'em all..."

She let out a roar and took off.

**Cut To:**

**Residential Area - Same Time**

Buffy was still wandering, traumatized and confused. As a siren whined in the distance, she went to a parked car and leaned wearily against it. The car's lights instantly started flashing, and its security system began to wail and honk. Buffy pressed her hands over her ears in pain.

The house lights came on, and the front door opened. A man holding a shotgun rushed out onto the porch.

"What are you doing?" the homeowner demanded.

Buffy peered at him through her fingers as she blocked the light with her hand.

"Get away from there!" he yelled.

Buffy just squinted at him.

"Do you hear me?" he yelled, moving down his front steps and onto the sidewalk. "I said get off my property!"

When he racked his shotgun, a Hellion suddenly screeched by on his bike and flung a firebomb toward the porch. The bottle hit the homeowner dead on, and the man was immediately engulfed in flames.

Buffy gasped in horror as the burning man ran toward her, shrieking in pain.

"Oh god, oh god!" she cried before fleeing.

**Cut To:**

**Main Street - Near Sun Cinema - Minutes Later**

Razor and more than a dozen of his gang were gathered in front of the Sun Cinema. Their bikes were parked in loose lines in front of the theater's entrance. Barrels of trash were burning nearby. The demons themselves carried torches, weapons, and bottles of booze and beer.

Razor waved his arms in the air. "Say hello to your new home, boys!"

The demons cheered. One of them took a mouthful of booze and blew it at his torch, creating a huge flame.

"This here is a momentous occasion, the beginning of a new era," Razor went on. "Now, no question, the open back roads and highways have been good to us. But we've got ourselves a juicy little burg here, just ripe for the picking. And I ain't in no hurry to leave it, you?"

"Noooo!" yelled all the demons.

"So I figure, what better way to kick off our semi-settling-down, than with a little christening?"

The crowd of demons cheered as four Hellions attached chains to their motorcycles.

"A symbolic act commemorating the new order around here," Razor said, "and ridding ourselves of any not-so-pleasant reminders of the old."

Razor held up a revolver and theatrically put a bullet in. "All in one quick, really, _really_ violent fell swoop." He held the gun back up. "Gentlemen, start your engines."

The four demons with chains on their bikes were pointed in opposite directions. They started up their bikes. The chains attached to the bikes were wrapped around the helpless Buffybot. The demons sat still on their bikes, engines rumbling.

"Bye-bye, slayer!" Razor yelled before firing into the air.

The motorcycles streaked away, ripping Buffybot's arms and legs from her body. Razor grinned and tossed the gun aside.

Razor walked over to where Buffybot's torso lay. He stomped on the robot's neck, severing her head from her body. Then he picked up Buffybot's head and held it up by its hair in front of his gang. "Now that we've properly christened our new home, let's get down to business!" He tossed Buffybot's head into a nearby burning barrel.

The gang went wild with hoots and cheers.

"_WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH BUFFY?_ "

Razor and his gang stopped cheering and turned toward the booming voice. They saw a dark haired girl before them-a dagger in her hand and vengeance in her eyes.

"_WHERE IS SHE?_" Faith yelled, pointing at Razor with her dagger.

Clyed nudged Razor and whispered, "That's her! The other slayer! Only she ain't no robot."

"The real thing, eh?" Razor said. "Don't matter. Just another body for the fire."

The demon leader pulled out the keys to his motorcycle and gave them several nonchalant twirls around his finger as he sauntered in Faith's direction. The gold medallion that served as a key chain flashed in the firelight. His gang parted to make way for him, and when he had gotten about halfway toward the slayer, the Hellions formed a circle around them.

Razor stopped his key twirling and feigned puzzlement. "Hmmm, Buffy, Buffy?" Then he held out his hand as if to approximate a height. "Blonde, about this high?" he asked before answering himself. "Oh yeah, I ripped her apart. I imagine you'll be finding pieces of her all over this place."

The Hellions laughed raucously.

"Next in line for the ripping apart?" Razor announced, pointing at Faith with his keys still in his hand. "You."

"You son of a bitch!" Faith yelled as she rushed the gang leader.

Razor just laughed, tucked his keys into his pocket, and backed out of the circle, letting his boys descend upon the slayer.

Faith went into a whirlwind of kicks and punches, stabs and slices, taking out demon after demon. Her rage and her slayer powers gave her a strength and a ferocity that the Hellions couldn't match, despite their greater numbers.

Faith, however, wasn't exactly going untouched during the battle. By the time she had whittled Razor's boys down, she was bruised and bleeding and had lost her dagger. She knocked out the last two with a set of vicious punches to the head. Then she turned to face Razor, the last one standing.

He glared at her as she walked over to her dagger and picked it up. Her legs nearly gave out on her, and her arms were trembling with exhaustion, but she refused to let him see that. She stood up straight and made a sarcastic wave of welcome with her arms.

"I believe you were next," she snarked.

Razor snapped out the blades on the fingers of his right hand and rushed the slayer. They met in a titanic clash in the center of the street.

**Cut To:**

**Further Down Main Street - Moments Earlier**

Still trying to escape the horror of seeing the homeowner torched in front of her, Buffy hurried along the sidewalk. She was crying, continuing to repeat "oh god" to herself. Periodically she would glance over her shoulder, fearing that the demons might be coming up behind her.

When she got to the point where she could see the cinema in the distance ahead of her, she instantly stopped walking. She eyes widened at the sight of the cheering demons in front of the theater.

She drew in a terrified breath before turning on her heel and rushing away.

"_WHERE IS SHE?_ "

Buffy froze in place when she heard this voice booming from within the crowd of demons. She slowly turned back around and looked. She could now see that someone was battling the mass of demons.

"Faith?" she called out tentatively.

Cautiously, Buffy started moving toward the fight.

**Cut To:  
Main Street - Near the Sun Cinema - Resume**

Both Razor and Faith were bleeding from multiple wounds, but Faith was the one who could no longer hide her fatigue. She tried to call upon her hate, her outrage, her desire for revenge, but it wasn't working. She was just spent. Still, she fought on. She thrust forward with her dagger but missed. When Razor counterattacked, she couldn't react fast enough to defend herself. His left hand shot out and latched around her neck. As he began to squeeze, he lifted her off the ground.

Gasping for breath, Faith dropped her dagger and used both hands to try and pry the demon's fingers from her throat, but it was useless. While he continued to apply pressure, she could feel herself starting to pass out. As she began to see prickles of light at the edges of her vision, she directed her final thoughts to Buffy.

_I'm sorry_, she told her. _I tried..._

Seeing the slayer begin to cease her struggles, Razor pulled her close and got right in her face.

"You know...I really enjoyed ripping your little blonde friend apart," he said with a sadistic smirk, "but I think I'm gonna enjoy you more...much more fun with a _live_ one..."

That was all it took for Faith to get the extra boost of rage she needed. With all her might, she rammed both of her knees into Razor's groin. He instantly doubled over, releasing her in the process. When she hit the ground, she scrambled back for her dagger. By the time Razor raised up, Faith buried the blade deep into his belly. He made a strangled sound in his throat and then peered down in disbelief.

"Who's ripped up now?" she taunted as she yanked the dagger upwards, splitting open his stomach.

As demon blood and guts poured over her hand, Faith shoved Razor off the blade. He gurgled one last time and then died. Wanting to be sure, Faith moved around his body to his head and slashed the dagger through his neck, slitting his throat almost to the point of decapitation. Satisfied that he was dead, she stepped back to catch her breath.

Once she was breathing a bit more normally, she knelt beside Razor and reached into his jacket pockets. She kept searching until she found what she was looking for-his set of keys. She studied the gold medallion that served as the key chain. It appeared to be the Hellions' coat of arms. She smiled to herself and twirled them on her finger as Razor had done.

"Guess you won't be needin' these anymore," she told the dead demon as she stood back up.

"Neither will _you_!"

Faith whipped around to see four more demons coming her way-the two she had knocked out at the end of the fight and two new ones who had just come upon the scene.

Faith's shoulders slumped. "You gotta be kiddin' me..."

Already so tired she could barely stand, she decided a bluff was in order. She stood up straight and shot her meanest glare at the four demons. She twirled the keys and then caught them in a fierce grip.

"You try and take these," she told them as she put the keys in the inner pocket of her leather jacket, "you're gonna end up like all your buddies here, 'specially him." She gestured at Razor's gutted body with her dagger. "So save your guts and get the hell out of here!"

The demon who spoke just narrowed his eyes and growled. Then he barked to the others, "_Get her!_"

"Well, it was worth a try," Faith mumbled to herself before preparing to defend against the attacking demons.

**Cut To:**

**Further Down Main Street - Moments Later**

As Buffy grew closer to the theater, she suddenly realized that Faith was in danger. She called out Faith's name and tore off in a run. As she passed by a demolished utilities truck, she grabbed a sawed-off length of metal conduit to use as a weapon.

**Cut To:**

**Main Street - Near the Sun Cinema - Same Time**

Faith had managed to kill one of the four demons, but as fatigued as she was, she hadn't been able to hold out against the remaining three. They had disarmed her and then pummeled her into the pavement. When she was sufficiently dazed, the new wannabe leader had the other two lift Faith from the ground and hold her up by her arms while he continued beating her.

With blood pouring down her face and her consciousness fading with every punch, Faith couldn't help but think about the last time she'd been in this position-at the hands of Debbie and her girls in prison.

Left jaw! _Ain't this..._ Right jaw! _...some fuckin'..._ Body blow! _...deja vu..._

The demon slammed punch after punch into the slayer's head and body until he saw her eyes close and her head loll forward. When he went to reach into the inner pocket of her jacket, though, he jerked and then stopped as a long piece of metal conduit penetrated his skull.

The two demons holding Faith watched their brother crumple to the ground. Then they turned to see where the metallic missile had come from. When they saw the enraged blonde bearing down upon them, they threw Faith facedown on the ground and rushed forward to meet the new threat.

In the middle of the fight, Faith came to long enough to raise her head and glance bleary-eyed at the ongoing battle.

"Buffy?" she asked in confusion before quickly dropping right back down. Her body seemed to sink even further as a long breath came out of her mouth. When her eyes closed, she stopped moving altogether.

Once Buffy had finished off the two demons, she rushed to Faith's side and carefully turned her over. She gently caressed the slayer's bruised and battered face and called out to her.

"Faith? Faith?"

The slayer was completely unresponsive. Buffy gave the brunette's shoulders a small shake, but her body was totally limp.

"No, no...god, no..." Buffy cried. "Faith, please wake up...please..."

After failing to get any response from the fallen slayer, Buffy finally broke down.

"_NOOOOOO..._" she wailed in anguish, draping herself over Faith's body.

_**TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 08...**_


	8. Chapter 8

**FOLLOW YOUR HEART**

**By DragonWriter17**

**PART 08**

**Fade In:**

**Apartment Off Main Street - Living Room - Night**

Faith lay on her back on the hardwood floor of the foyer area. She was completely still except for the slight rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Slowly, her battered face scrunched into a grimace, and her eyelids began to flutter open. She appeared a bit dazed as her eyes tried to focus on her surroundings.

She could make out a ceiling above her and a door at her feet. To her right, she saw an interior wall with a row of coat hooks and a cluster of small paintings. To her left, she saw a recliner, and beyond it, the living room of what appeared to be an efficiency apartment of some kind.

"What the hell?" she mumbled, wondering where she was and how she had gotten there.

She started to sit up, but the intense pain forced her back down. She was hurting all over, but it was her stomach and ribs that hurt the most.

"Fuck..." she groaned as she cradled her arms against her body.

When her head began to pound and her back to ache, she decided that she'd have to get up. She took in a deep breath and blew it out before making herself roll over and get to her hands and knees. She paused, grimacing again, letting herself adjust to the pain before moving to the next stage of standing. With a final push, she got to her feet.

"Damn, I'm gettin' too old for this..." she grumbled as she straightened up. When she realized what she had said, she snorted. "Yeah, too old at _twenty_. Better send me to the old slayers retirement home."

Faith forced herself to go through a few stretches. "Just rusty, I guess. Prison made me soft." She couldn't help snorting again.

The sarcastic chuckle gave way to a hissing curse when the sharp jab of bruised ribs shot through the left side of her body.

"Damn, those fuckers beat the shit outta me..."

It was then that she caught sight of herself in the large mirror on the wall opposite the front door. Her hair was a tangled mess. One clump above her forehead was matted with partially dried blood. A streak of red ran down that side of her face. Another line of blood led from her split lip, over her chin, and down her neck. Both jaws were bruised. One of her eyes was swollen and beginning to turn black.

"And I left prison for this?" she quipped before turning around to face the living room.

She absently wiped at her chin with her sleeve as she shuffled between the recliner and the television and then over to the large living room window. When she pulled the curtain away and looked outside, she saw that she was in a second floor apartment. She could make out another building across from her and an alley below.

"Must be those apartments on the back of the furniture store," she mused. "But how did I get here?" She turned back around and glanced at the front door. "I guess I must've dragged myself here after the battle."

She squinted her eyes and tried to recall what had happened. She'd been fighting those four demons that showed up after she'd killed the gang leader. She remembered killing one, then getting jumped by the other three, then...

She shook her head, trying to clear her muddled memory, but it didn't work. "I really gotta stop getting these head injuries," she said as she gingerly pressed her hand against the crusty wound at her hairline. With a heavy sigh, she headed for the kitchen area. "This place better have hot water..."

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Hallway - Continuous**

Without even wondering if anyone else was in the apartment, Faith trudged past the eat-in kitchen and into the short hallway. She had expected the bathroom to be right after the kitchen, but it wasn't. _Must be off the bedroom_, she thought to herself as she forced herself to keep walking even though every step sent a new streak of pain through her body. As she moved toward the bedroom, she was so stuck in her own physical discomfort that she didn't even notice the sounds of crying coming from the room ahead of her.

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Bedroom - Continuous**

As Faith turned the corner into the bedroom, she stopped dead in her tracks. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Buffy sat on the edge of bed, rocking and holding herself, sobbing inconsolably. Her long blonde hair was frazzled and dirty. The long-sleeved black dress she wore was dingy and ripped in multiple places. Fresh cuts were on her face and arms.

As Faith stared in utter disbelief, Buffy was totally oblivious to the other slayer's presence. She just continued crying hysterically, "Please make it not real...please make it not real...please..."

In a flash, Faith's mind filled in the blanks of her memory. She saw the demon who was beating her get skewered by a piece of metal conduit that came out of nowhere. Next thing she knew, she was face down on the ground. When she looked up, she could have sworn she saw Buffy slaying the remaining demons. She remembered saying Buffy's name before everything went dark. As her brain struggled to come up with an adequate explanation, Faith could only speak the slayer's name again.

"Buffy?"

Buffy's head snapped up at the sound of Faith's voice. She leaped to her feet and rushed to hug her fellow slayer. "Faith! You're alive!" she sobbed. "Thank god...thank god...I thought you were dead..."

Faith was still in a state of complete shock. It took her a full minute to even respond to Buffy's hug, to loosely return it. She couldn't even feel her physical pain at that moment; her mind was just reeling. _She thought __I__ was dead?_

Meanwhile, Buffy continued to be overcome with emotion. "I-I-I tried to wake you up," she wailed, "but you wouldn't wake up...you wouldn't wake up..."

_This can't be happening_, Faith thought. _Buffy's __dead__. I must be hallucinating, I gotta be. Still just stupidly wishing for what I can never have. Unless...this is that Buffy robot the doc told me about..._

Faith abruptly grabbed the blonde by her biceps and shoved her away, holding her at arm's length. Buffy's crying hiccupped to a stop as the dark slayer examined her intently.

Faith recognized the adorably unique nose and the wide mouth with its pleasantly pouty lower lip. She gazed into the familiar green eyes that were now rimmed in red from crying. Then she caught sight of the dried blood on the other woman's face. It was from a row of jagged scrapes on her cheek. Then the truth hit her: robots don't bleed.

She reached up and cupped Buffy's scratched cheek. She gently ran her thumb along the lines of dried blood before lifting her eyes to meet Buffy's. "I thought I imagined you, but...it's really you, isn't it?"

With a few tears still trickling down, Buffy nodded.

Now it was Faith's turn to bear-hug Buffy. "God, I never thought I'd see you again," she said in a choked voice as she held Buffy tightly. It took all of her will not to begin sobbing herself.

After a lengthy embrace, Faith pulled back and stared at Buffy in amazement. "How-? How are you here?" she asked, still holding the other slayer's arms.

Buffy frowned and shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "I don't know..."

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Faith asked in sudden concern as she began scanning the blonde for injuries.

"No, I don't think so," Buffy replied. "Not like you," she added, ending Faith's inspection by touching the slayer's bruised face.

For an intense moment, the two slayers locked eyes. Their hearts began beating madly, and they could feel fire racing under their skin where they touched. They were both breathing hard when Faith finally cleared her throat and stepped back out of touching range. She shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans.

"Look…I know I'm probably the last person you want to see, but I think we better stick together for a while. At least until we see how things are outside." She tilted her head toward the window behind the bed.

When Buffy turned and saw the window, she immediately backed away from it, whimpering. "I don't want to go outside," she said in a small, scared voice.

"It's okay, it's okay," Faith assured her. "You don't have to. I don't want to go out there either. No way I can take on any demons right now. I'm tapped out."

Buffy became upset again. She wrapped her arms around herself and cringed with her back against the wall. "Are we in hell?" she begged with new tears streaming down her face. "_Please_ tell me we're not in hell...please..."

Faith grasped Buffy's shoulders. "We're not in hell," she told her. When Buffy didn't meet her gaze, she reached up and lifted Buffy's chin. "We're not in hell, and we're not dead. I promise."

When Buffy had calmed somewhat, Faith stepped back and gestured toward the bed. "Why don't we sit down?"

Buffy wiped the tears from her cheeks and nodded, then joined Faith at the end of the bed.

"Tell me what you remember," Faith asked. "I mean, obviously you remember _me_-of all things-but what else?"

Buffy thought for a moment and then said, "I remember my life before I died, and I remember dying, but...then it all goes fuzzy. How long was I dead?"

"One hundred and forty-seven days," Faith instantly replied. "But who's counting?" she added with a chuckle, a little embarrassed at her answer. She turned the conversation back to what Buffy remembered. "How about this?" she suggested. "What if you start with now and work your way back? Like, why did you think you were in hell? I mean, I know Sunnydale's like Demon City at the moment, but compared to where you were, it was probably pretty tame."

"Where I was?" Buffy asked, confused.

"The hell dimension you went to-the one that hell god came from?"

"I-I didn't go to Glory's dimension."

Now Faith was confused. "Well...where did you go?"

"I don't know. I can't remember exactly, but...I think I was in heaven."

"Heaven?" Faith asked in surprise.

Buffy nodded. "I was at peace. I wasn't hurting anymore, and I could finally rest."

"And then you got yanked here. Shit. No wonder you thought you were in hell. Town bein' ransacked by demons..."

Buffy shook her head. "They weren't even the worst part."

Faith waited for Buffy to explain, but she didn't continue right away. She looked away for a long time, gathering the courage to describe the details of her resurrection.

"When I first woke up, I was...in a coffin..._my_ coffin...as in buried in my own grave."

Faith glanced down at Buffy's battered and bloody hands, realizing then the real reason Buffy's grave had been disturbed. _Shit...fucking shit...she had to dig out of her own grave?_ "Awww...Jesus Christ, B..."

"I screamed, I panicked, I finally dug my way out, and demons were everywhere, and I hurt so bad, and then you were dead, and all I could think was... 'I'm in hell. That other place, where I was before, it wasn't heaven at all. It was just...a-a-a holding place, a waiting area until my eternity was decided. And now I'm in hell forever'..." Buffy began to weep once again.

"But you're _not_," Faith insisted, pulling Buffy into a hug. "You're not in hell. I swear."

Buffy put her arms around Faith and clung to her as she tried to make herself believe what the other slayer was telling her.

Not knowing what else to do, Faith just held her. She rubbed Buffy's back and caressed her hair. Most of all, she kept repeating her earlier words, trying to reassure the distraught slayer that she really wasn't in hell.

As Buffy felt her crying slowly cease, she noticed how comforting Faith's embrace was. For the first time since she had dug out of her grave, Buffy felt safe. Her pain was still there, but it wasn't as strong; it was almost bearable. When she felt Faith start to end the hug, she nearly resisted, not wanting to leave the shelter of the other slayer's arms. She didn't, though, and reluctantly allowed Faith to separate them

"Thank you," Buffy said with a sniffle. "You're the only thing good that's happened to me since I've been back."

The statement surprised and moved Faith, but she hid it with a joke. She shot Buffy a grin and said, "You used me and the word 'good' in the same sentence. Are you trying to jinx us or something?"

That got a little bit of a smile out of Buffy.

Hoping to continue the light mood, Faith stood and said, "Look, I don't know about you, but I've got demon gunk where a person really shouldn't have demon gunk. I think a couple of hot showers are in order."

Buffy nodded.

"Come on...let's go see what we've got to work with," Faith suggested.

Buffy followed her to the bathroom.

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Bathroom - Continuous**

"We got soap, we got shampoo, we got towels," Faith announced after conducting a quick search. "Looks like we're good to go."

Buffy seemed distracted and didn't reply. She just nervously glanced around the room.

"Why don't you go first?" Faith offered. "I'll see if I can round us up some clothes."

"Okay," Buffy replied, nodding but not really meeting Faith's gaze.

At that, Faith left the room and shut the door.

For the longest moment, Buffy just stood there, looking lost. Then her attention was drawn to the full length mirror on the bathroom closet door. She walked toward it and stared at her own reflection as if she didn't recognize it.

Suddenly, she saw her reflection replaced by a golden image of herself with wings. She jumped in reaction, but within a second, her real reflection reappeared, bringing with it an overwhelming sense of loss that Buffy couldn't understand or escape. Feeling a sob developing in her chest, she turned away from the mirror. Drawing in short, halting breaths, she made herself concentrate on removing her clothing. When she was done, she reached into the bathtub and turned on the water, adjusting it until it was the right temperature. She pulled the knob to divert the water to the shower head and then stepped inside.

She let the water hit her face first then turned to let the stream wet her hair. When the hot water hit her back, though, she gasped as the burning in her shoulder blades returned with a vengeance. Pain streaked through her body as frightening memories of herself screaming and falling assaulted her mind. This time she couldn't suppress the tears. She folded her arms against her chest, leaned against the shower wall, and let the sobs come.

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Bedroom - Same Time**

Meanwhile, Faith was rummaging through the dresser and chest that paralleled the bed. She was finding many of the drawers to be surprisingly close to empty.

"She must be out of town," Faith speculated about the apartment's resident. "Looks like she's taken a lot of her stuff with her."

Despite the short supply, Faith was able to find some usable clothes for herself and Buffy-underwear, socks, sweats, and t-shirts.

"Ain't nothing fancy, but it'll do," she said as she gathered Buffy's stack and headed for the bathroom.

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Bathroom - Continuous**

Faith could hear the shower running, so she gave a loud knock and then stuck her head through the door.

"Hey, I got you some clothes," she called out.

She heard a bump in the shower and the telltale signs of Buffy forcing herself to stop crying.

"Great. Thanks," she eventually heard Buffy reply.

"Are you all right?" Faith asked.

"I'm fine. I'll be out in a minute," Buffy answered.

Although she knew Buffy was anything but 'fine,' she didn't press the matter. When she heard Buffy pop the top of a bottle and begin making the sounds of shampooing, Faith called out an "okay" and then reluctantly left the room again.

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Bedroom - Continuous**

Faith was twisting her fingers in worry as she re-entered the bedroom to wait for Buffy. For a time, she just paced back and forth at the end of the bed.

_God, she is really messed up._

_Shit, do you blame her?_

_No, it's just...I don't know what to do, I don't know what to do!_

Just then, Buffy came out of the bathroom, startling Faith from her internal debate. Faith threw on a smile and turned to face Buffy.

"Hey. Feel better?" she asked.

"Yeah. Thanks," Buffy answered, only fleetingly making eye contact.

"You better have left me some hot water," Faith teased.

She immediately regretted her attempt at levity when she saw Buffy's face crease in concern. She could tell the blonde hadn't even considered the hot water issue, couldn't even remember how long she'd been in the shower. Faith instantly crossed to her and touched her shoulder.

"Don't sweat it," she told her. "I was just kidding. At this point, I'd take a polar bear plunge to get this gunk off o' me."

When she saw a small smile twitch at the blonde's lips and felt her shoulders relax a bit, Faith stepped back over the bed and picked up her stack of clothes. "I'll be back in a few," she said before heading off to the bathroom.

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Bathroom - Moments Later**

Not wanting to leave Buffy alone for long, Faith tore her clothes off as quickly as she could, hissing in pain only when she had to tug her t-shirt over her head and maneuver herself out of her sweat-soaked sports bra. She tried to rush through her shower, but at times she had no choice but to stop and scrub to get the last vestiges of 'demon gunk' from her skin.

When she finally got out, she wrapped a towel around herself and tiptoed to the bathroom door. She eased it open and listened. No hysterical wailing. That was good. She hoped.

She returned to the mat in front of the tub and toweled herself dry. When she was finished, she stepped over to the closet door to inspect her reflection in the full-length mirror.

"Shit...I still look like hell," she commented when she saw her bruised body. Then she just shrugged. "Well, at least it's a _clean_ hell." She headed for the vanity and began combing out her damp hair. "Slayer healing'll take care of it. Gimme a few days, and I'll be as good as new."

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Bedroom - Same Time**

While Faith showered, Buffy restlessly paced beside the bed. She focused on her breathing, trying her best to keep from falling apart during the other woman's absence. She wasn't having any luck, however.

The brief moment of reprieve she'd felt at Faith's touch had disappeared, and her pain had returned. She had fought off the tears as long as she could, but now they were freely rolling down her face. She stopped in front of the chest of drawers and hugged her arms tightly around herself.

"God, it hurts so much," she whispered, "and I don't even know why..."

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Bedroom - Minutes Later**

When Faith hurried into the room, she found Buffy leaning face-first against the tall chest of drawers. She was crying again. Faith walked over and touched Buffy's back.

"Are you okay?" she gently asked.

Buffy turned around and shook her head. "No," she answered in a raw voice.

Faith reached out and lightly grasped Buffy's arms. "Tell me what to do," she pleaded. "Tell me how to make it better."

Buffy looked into Faith's eyes. "Just hold me."

Faith didn't wait. She opened her arms and wrapped them around Buffy. As she pulled Buffy close, Faith felt a tide of emotions well up inside her. Regret for all the hurt she had caused Buffy in the past. Sadness at the pain Buffy was experiencing now. Helplessness at being unable to ease any of Buffy's anguish. More than anything, though, Faith felt elation. Buffy was alive and in her arms-something she had only been able to dream of, to wish for. She hated herself for being so selfish, for being happy when Buffy so clearly wasn't, but she couldn't help it. _God, please don't let this be a dream_, she prayed.

Once she felt Faith's arms close around her, Buffy shuddered once and then sagged wearily against her fellow slayer, grateful to have the pain inside her diminish as it had done each time Faith had hugged her or touched her.

"Thank you," she whispered against Faith's chest.

Buffy could hear Faith's heart thudding like a drum and her breathing becoming short and shallow. She could feel something building between them, growing stronger the longer they touched, but she didn't know what it was, and right then she didn't have the strength to ponder it. Sleep was what she needed-deep and painless sleep.

"I'm so tired..." Buffy murmured.

"Time for you to lay down then," Faith replied before leading Buffy to the neatly made double bed. "I can take the couch," she said, pulling back the covers and guiding Buffy to sit on the edge of the mattress. "In ya go," she directed, and Buffy did as she was told. Faith tucked her in and then straightened up to stand beside the bed.

As soon as Faith was separated from her, though, Buffy once again felt the anguish return. It was as if tons of earth and stone had been piled upon her, crushing the air from her body. Yet long after her breath had left, life and consciousness had inexplicably remained, trapping her in an eternal second of agony. She didn't know why the pain eased in Faith's presence; she only knew that it did, so she reached out and captured Faith's hand.

"Stay with me?" she asked.

Faith hesitated and glanced about the room, unsure of what to do. Then she pulled her hand from Buffy's and took a step back. She gestured pointedly between them. "You _do_ know it's me, right? Faith Lehane? The girl who killed people, tried to frame you for murder, steal your boyfriend, your body...?"

"I remember," Buffy said. Then she held out her hand again. "Please?"

Seeing the pain in those green eyes, Faith couldn't deny the request. She stepped forward and took Buffy's hand, joining her under the covers of the bed. Once Buffy had snuggled into place against her, Faith encircled her with her arms and held her close. As she felt Buffy relax into sleep, Faith closed her eyes and repeated her earlier prayer, _Please let this be real_. Then Faith too gave herself over to sleep.

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Bedroom - Moments Later**

Invisible to human eyes in their ethereal forms, Joyce and Ozzie watched the two slayers sleeping peacefully.

Joyce heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. "We did it."

Ozzie nodded his head but then said solemnly, "It's not over yet. The other side is just going to renew its efforts to keep Buffy and Faith apart."

"We'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen," Joyce said in a determined voice.

Suddenly, the room was filled with the booming clang of what must have been an enormous gong. The otherworldly sound went unheard by the resting slayers. Only the two heavenly beings were privy to the deep resonating note. They cast nervous glances at each other before gazing upwards.

"Oh, fudge cookies," Joyce grumbled before she and Osiris were yanked back to heaven by the Powers-That-Be.

_**TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 09...**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Follow Your Heart**

**By DragonWriter17**

**PART 09**

**Fade In:**

**Heaven - Palace of the Powers-That-Be - Night**

As they had been during Buffy's visit, the Powers-That-Be were in human form, sitting upon their seven thrones. Joyce and Ozzie stood before them, keeping their eyes appropriately downcast, as the gray-haired senior member of the Powers-That-Be angrily lectured them.

"There are rules in place, and they are there for a reason!" he barked. "They cannot be broken on a whim!"

Joyce's head shot up. "A _whim_?" she objected irately.

Ozzie reached out and placed an arm in front of Joyce to prevent her from stepping forward. Then he turned his gaze toward the Powers. "Well, technically we-"

"Silence!" came the booming reply. The gray-haired man calmed himself then cast a disapproving gaze at Ozzie. "I shouldn't be surprised by _her_ actions, but you Osiris, you know better."

"Yes, my lord..." Ozzie meekly stated.

Joyce gave her partner a scowl before turning back to the Powers. "You should be _thanking_ us. We acted when you wouldn't! Buffy and Faith are going to be needed. For what, I don't know, but it's big enough that the other side has done everything in its power to keep them apart, and-"

With a wave of the Senior Power's hand, Joyce found her voice suddenly gone. Her mouth was still moving, but no sound was emerging from it. She grasped her throat in surprise.

The bearded man at the left end of the row of thrones, the one who had earlier objected to Buffy's placement with the angelic guardians instead of the warriors, leaned over to the female beside him. "Now I see where Buffy gets her fire," he said with a grin.

"Be quiet, Laran," she chastised without turning her head.

Meanwhile, the Senior Power stood up from his throne. "I believe it would behoove the two of you to spend some _time_ pondering the error of your ways..."

Ozzie's eyes grew wide. "No...please..."

Joyce looked at Ozzie with concern, not knowing what was causing the dread in his eyes.

"Perhaps, after a short _timeout_, you'll reconsider the necessity of your actions."

He clapped his hands together. There was a crack of thunder followed by a flash of light; then Ozzie and Joyce were instantly transported to another location.

**Cut To:**

**Purgatory - The Timeout Room - Seconds Later**

Once they had materialized in the new place, Joyce found that her voice had returned. "Oh!" she said, a bit startled by the abrupt relocation. She seemed relieved to be able to speak again, however. When she heard Ozzie make an unhappy sound beside her, she turned to him.

"Oh God...I hate this place..." he groaned before hurrying to a chair and sitting down. He hunkered down as if he were trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

Confused, Joyce took the opportunity to gaze around the room. The walls were a dingy off-white, and the ceiling had equally dingy tiles around buzzing, blinking fluorescent lights. The room contained multiple groupings of chairs, end tables, and coffee tables; all available surfaces were covered with grimy magazines clearly out of date. An opening with a sliding glass window could be seen on the far wall, but nothing was visible beyond it. Several large TVs were in place throughout the room, but they were stuck on annoying infomercials. In the areas where there were no televisions, speakers blared mind-numbing elevator music.

The room did have other occupants; several of them shot desperate, needy glances in Joyce's direction. She immediately rushed to sit next to Ozzie.

"What is this place?" she whispered urgently.

"The waiting room from hell," Ozzie replied with disgust. "Actually, the waiting room from purgatory, but it might as well be hell." When one of the other occupants started shuffling towards them, he hissed under his breath, "Don't make eye contact, don't make-" _Damn it, too late._

A neurotic looking woman wearing a tattered sweater sat down beside Joyce and asked, "Have you seen my cats?"

"Hell no she ain't seen your stupid cats!" complained a pudgy man puffing away on a nauseating cigar. He sat right across from Joyce and blew smoke towards her.

Ozzie tried to get up and move but found his way blocked by a young mother with two bawling children, one toddler and one infant. She handed the crying baby to the towering man. "Do you mind? I need to take Jesse to the little boys' room." Before he could stop her, she rushed away, toddler in tow.

Ozzie held the squalling infant out away from himself, then slowly turned around to glare at Joyce, who was getting an earful of cat stories and a nose full of cigar smoke. "This is all your fault," he griped as he sat down and began going through the motions of calming the baby that he knew would never stop crying.

"I can't just sit around here doing nothing! I need to get back to Buffy!" Joyce exclaimed. "How do we get out of here?"

"We _don't_," Ozzie replied. "Not until the Powers decide to let us out."

Joyce stared at Ozzie in shock for a moment, then hung her head, closed her eyes, and covered her face with her hands in an attempt to drown out the noise. She jumped when she felt a hand on her arm. When she looked up, the cigar-smoking man was right in front of her, grinning.

"Did I ever tell you about my third wife's ugly toe? Ugliest thing you ever saw! The toe, not the wife. Course, I can't say that about my current wife..."

As the man let out a string of guffaws at his own joke, Joyce groaned and slumped against her chair, resigned to her fate.

**Fade To:**

**Sunnydale - Apartment - Bedroom - Before Sunrise**

It was about an hour before sunrise when Faith awakened from sleep. She blinked her eyes several times and drew in a deep breath. When she felt a warm body readjust itself against hers and drape an arm across her stomach, she instantly froze. It took a few seconds for her brain to remind her of where she was, how she had gotten there, and who she was with.

She exhaled in tiny, tightly controlled breaths before looking down at the person who was snuggled against her right shoulder. When she saw that it was Buffy, she relaxed and let the rest of her breath out.

_Thank God_, she thought to herself in relief. _It wasn't just a dream_.

She pulled Buffy closer and leaned her cheek against the top of the blonde's head. She could feel a lump forming in her throat and tears filling her eyes, but she didn't fight the reaction. It felt too good to have Buffy alive again and to be holding her in her arms.

Unfortunately, her mind didn't allow her to enjoy the embrace for long.

_Since when are you a cuddler?_ it taunted.

_Since now_, Faith grumbled back.

_Well, don't get attached. You know this won't last._

_I'm __not__._

_She's only with you because she was traumatized and needed someone and you were the only one available._

_I __know__ already! Now shut up._

After quelling her inner nag, she indulged in a few more moments of snuggling before forcing herself to get out of bed. Slowly but surely, she extricated herself from Buffy's embrace without waking her.

Once she had slid out of the bed, Faith stood up and watched the blonde carefully. When she was sure that Buffy had remained asleep, she stepped to the large window behind the head of the bed and peeked through the blinds. Although it was completely dark outside, she could tell that it was close to sunrise.

_Better go take a look outside_, she thought. _But first, the bathroom._

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Bathroom - Moments Later**

After taking care of business, Faith stood in front of the full-length mirror and examined her reflection.

"Still look like I got dragged behind a car and then dropped off a mountain, but I feel better." She went through a few stretches but stopped when she felt a sharp pain in her left side. "Still pretty sore, though," she said, wincing.

She put her boots on and pulled her wallet from the jeans she had taken off the night before. When she picked up her leather jacket, she immediately grimaced at the smell and held the jacket away from herself.

"Damn demon guts...ruined my new jacket," she complained.

She rummaged through the jacket's pockets and retrieved a small dagger, her Lucky Strike cigarettes and lighter, the strip of photo booth pictures of herself and Buffy, and the keys she had taken from Razor, the leader of the Hellions. She gave the keys a thoughtful glance then tucked her belongings into the pockets of her borrowed pants.

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Bedroom - Continuous**

After she came out of the bathroom, she took a quick look at Buffy before quietly easing into the bedroom's walk-in closet. She hunted through the apartment owner's clothes until she found a jacket she liked. It was a heavy but well-worn blue jean jacket. She transferred her cigarettes, lighter, and photo to the right breast pocket, her wallet and dagger to the inner pocket, and Razor's keys to the regular left pocket.

After leaving the closet, she once again checked to see if Buffy was still sleeping. When she saw that she was, she glanced around the room, looking for something to write with. She spied a notepad and pen on the nightstand. Taking them up, she wrote in large letters:

_**B, **_

_**Went to scout. Be right back.**_

_**Stay Here**__**. **_

– _**F**_

After leaving the notepad and pen on the nightstand, Faith left the bedroom and headed for the front door.

**Cut To:**

**Outside The Apartment - Moments Later**

Once she had closed the outer door at the bottom of the stairs, she immediately scanned up and down the entire length of the dark alley. Seeing and hearing nothing of a dangerous nature, she pulled out a cigarette and lit it. She took a deep drag and let it out. Then she cautiously moved up the alley toward Main Street.

**Cut To:**

**Main Street - Continuous**

As Faith eased around the corner, she noticed that the most of the Hellions' bodies were gone. The destruction caused by the marauding demons, however, was still there. The front windows of stores were crashed in, inventory was either missing or destroyed, broken glass and other garbage littered the sidewalks. The metal trash barrels had, at least, burned down to mere smoldering.

Ahead of her, in front of the Sun cinema, though, she could see four hooded figures heaving something into a large black van. She tossed her cigarette to the ground and headed their way.

As she got closer to the black van, she realized that the hooded figures were the Shrnkar-demonic scavengers who fed upon the demon dead. Slayers often had unwritten alliances with the Shrnkar. In exchange for cleaning up the slayer's 'dirty work,' the Shrnkar were allowed to live. At the moment, they were in the process of loading up the van with the last of the dead Hellions. When Faith walked right up to them, they drew back and hissed at her.

"Hey," she called out to them, "you seen any live ones o' these out and about?"

"The living...do not conccccern ussss, SSSSSlayer..." one of the scavengers answered.

"Yeah, but ya got eyes, don't ya?" Faith countered.

The Shrnkar looked at each other a moment; then another one of the scavengers said, "We ssssaw a few leave hourssss ago. The ressssst belong to ussss."

"Hey, they're all yours," Faith said as she started to walk away. "And thanks."

She only got hisses in return, but she didn't care. Right now, she was on cloud nine. She had kicked some major demon ass last night, and it sounded like the stragglers had hightailed it out of town. Most importantly, though, Buffy was back.

"And she hasn't even tried to kill me," Faith said, grinning to herself. "All I need now is a little icing on the cake."

She headed toward the Hellions' motorcycles that were still parked a few yards away. When she reached them, she pulled Razor's key chain out of her jacket pocket. She studied the key chain and then walked down the line of bikes, looking for the one that the keys might fit. At the end of the row, she found it. The symbol on the medallion matched the image on the bike's gas tank. She swung her leg over the bike and sat down. She inserted the key and switched it into the on position; then she punched the ignition button. As the engine roared to life, she turned the gas handle and revved it up even more.

"Sweet!" she said.

After engaging the clutch and clicking the bike into gear, she drove it down the block and into the alley beside the furniture store. As she made the turn, she killed the engine and coasted silently the rest of the way to the apartment. She parked the bike by the bottom door, locked it, and tucked the keys in her pocket. Then she went up the stairs to the apartment, a smile still on her face.

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Kitchen - Continuous**

Faith let herself back into the apartment and crept to the bedroom. When she looked inside, Buffy was still asleep, so she quietly shut the door and headed back into the dining area at the end of the kitchen. She pulled a calling card from her wallet and picked up the handset from the wall-mounted phone, intending to call her watcher, Dr. Victoria Raine. She hesitated before punching in the numbers, though.

_What am I gonna say? _she thought while glancing down the hallway toward the bedroom. _I __can't__ tell her Buffy's back. Not yet. B's a total basket case-no way she can handle a Watchers Council Inquisition right now. _After considering the matter a moment longer, she decided, _Ah, I'll give it a day or two, then go from there._

Satisfied with that scenario, Faith turned back to the phone and punched in the numbers on the calling card Dr. Raine had given her. After several rings, the phone was finally picked up by a tired-sounding Dr. Raine.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Doc."

"Faith, thank goodness! I was beginning to get quite worried. Where are you?"

"I'm in Sunnydale. Sorry I didn't call sooner. Things have been kinda crazy since I got here."

"What happened?"

"Biker gang called the Hellions apparently got word that the slayer was dead. They were tearin' the town apart when I got here. They even torched the bus I was in. I spent half the night fightin' 'em."

"Dear lord!" Dr. Raine exclaimed. "Well, clearly you were victorious, else you'd not be calling."

"Clearly."

"Were you hurt?"

"Got the crap beat outta me, but other'n that I'm fine."

"My word, you certainly experienced a trial by fire upon your return, didn't you?"

"Yeah, literally," Faith replied.

"How did the others react to your arrival?"

"Haven't seen 'em yet. Guess I'll drop in on 'em later today." _Woo-hoo, can't wait for that joyous reunion, _she thought sarcastically to herself.

"Get some rest first," Dr. Raine instructed. "I want daily calls from you until I arrive, all right?"

"Yes ma'am," the slayer dutifully replied.

Faith ended the call and hung up the phone. For a moment she considered calling back and telling her watcher everything, but in the end, she decided against it. It wasn't that she didn't trust Dr. Raine; she just thought it would be better for Buffy to have some time to adjust. It wouldn't hurt to wait a few days before making her watcher rush down to Sunnydale.

She looked back down the hallway toward the bedroom, where her fellow slayer was sleeping. She shook her head, still trying to wrap her mind around the totally improbable yet completely undeniable reality of Buffy's presence.

_How did you get here? Who brought you here? Did the Powers-That-Be send you back like they did Angel? _

When an amusing explanation popped in her mind, Faith ducked her head and smirked to herself.

_You probably heard the Council was bringing __me__ back, didn't you? 'They're putting __Faith__ in charge? Over my dead body! Send me back now before she destroys Sunnydale!'_

Faith's chuckling ended abruptly when she heard Buffy scream as if she had awakened from a horrible nightmare. Faith flew down the hallway and into the bedroom.

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Bedroom - Continuous**

By the time Faith rushed to her side, Buffy was frantically calling out Faith's name and reaching for her.

"Hey, it's okay," Faith said as she grasped Buffy's arms and looked her in the eyes. "It's okay...it was just a dream..."

Buffy was still in a panic, her words tumbling out between breaths. "I-I-I was falling...I kept falling...and it hurt...so bad...then I hit the ground...o-o-or something...and I woke up, but you weren't here...you weren't here..."

When Buffy began crying in earnest, Faith pulled her into a hug and held her. "It's okay, it's okay...I'm right here..."

In the past, Faith had never been into all that touchy-feely stuff; in fact, she would have been downright repelled by it. But here with Buffy, she didn't seem to mind it, couldn't seem to help herself from falling right into it. And stranger still, Buffy seemed to _want_ it, to _need_ it from her somehow.

_This is so fuckin' weird_, Faith thought to herself. _But it's a good kind of weird_, she had to admit.

Buffy, on the other hand, didn't have room in her head for any kind of conscious debate on the matter. Right then, she only knew what she felt, and that was relief. Her feelings of terror and pain had receded and had been replaced with safety and comfort. Behind all of that, though, was a profound sense of rightness-that where she was, here in Faith's arms, was exactly where she needed to be. The thought of losing her filled Buffy with despair.

Frowning in worry, she pulled back so that she could look at Faith. She lifted her hand and gently touched the other woman's face. "I was so afraid I'd lost you again..."

When their eyes met, the two slayers locked into an intense stare, just as they had the night before. Even though their hearts were thundering in their chests, they scarcely allowed themselves to breathe. They stayed that way for what seemed like an eternity of seconds before Faith finally swallowed hard and flashed Buffy a teasing grin.

"You can't get rid o' me," she joked as she stood up beside the bed. "I'm like a bad penny...I just keep comin' back."

When Buffy's face lit up with an actual smile, Faith tilted her head toward the bedroom door. "Come on, let's raid the kitchen. I'm starving!"

"Okay," Buffy said with a nod. "Let me go to the bathroom, and I'll meet you there."

"Deal," Faith said.

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Kitchen - Moments Later**

As soon as Faith got into the kitchen, she anxiously began pacing the floor.

"What the _hell_ is goin' on?" she whispered as she made a quick glance toward the hallway. "Something that probably shouldn't be," she added with a shake of her head.

Then she stopped pacing and consciously slowed her breathing. "Don't think about it," she told herself. "Just...think about something a lot less complicated...like food."

She turned and headed for the refrigerator.

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Bathroom - Same Time**

While Faith worked in the kitchen, Buffy took her time in the bathroom. After a visit to the toilet, she gripped the edges of the vanity, trying to rein in her rapidly changing emotions.

Her pulse was still racing from the intense embrace she had shared with Faith, and she felt a strong need to be with her or at the very least be near her. The sense of unbearable loss that she had experienced the night before remained deep within her, although it had begun to dull somewhat. She looked up and frowned at her reflection in the mirror above the sink.

_Who are you?_ she asked herself.

She didn't know the answer to that question. Not fully, anyway. She took a deep breath and forced herself to focus on her past, on her life before she died. Who she was then had to be who she was now. Right? But who was she back then?

Daughter. Student. Slayer. Friend. Lover. Sister. Sacrifice.

Memories, both good and bad, flashed through her mind with each role she recalled. The memories felt so far away, though...almost as if they belonged to someone else's life.

It had been months since she had died. She knew she should be wondering where her sister and friends were and how they were doing, but all she seemed to feel for them was a kind of distant numbness. The wrongness of that made her sad, and she felt her eyes well up with tears.

She wiped the tears away and turned on the faucet in the sink. When she went to splash some water on her face, she noticed the bruises and abrasions that had been left on her hands by her escape from her coffin. In an instant, she was reliving the horror of digging herself out of her own grave.

"Stop it!" she scolded as she closed her eyes and willed the images from her mind. "You've got to pull yourself together and try to act normal!"

She opened her eyes and huffed at her own suggestion. "None of this is normal," she mumbled as she turned the water off and dried her shaking hands.

She hated feeling so out of control, she hated being the shell of the person she remembered. She ran her hands through her hair in an effort to calm herself. Then, after letting out a weary but determined sigh, she left the bathroom.

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Kitchen - Seconds Later**

When Buffy got to the kitchen, she did a double-take when she found Faith making scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast.

"You're _cooking_," Buffy said with obvious incredulity.

"You really _do_ remember me," Faith replied with a grin. Then she shrugged and said, "Did a short stint in the prison kitchen. Ain't sayin' I'm a gourmet or nothing, but I can do some basics."

Buffy paused a moment and then said, "Speaking of short stints..."

Faith glanced at her fellow slayer. She expected to find judgment in her eyes, but she found only curiosity. She finished filling their two plates with food and then picked them up. "I think we better sit down for this one," she said, gesturing toward the small table at the end of the kitchen. "Might take a while."

Buffy walked to the table and sat down. Once Faith had set the plates next to the silverware and bottles of juice that she had already laid out, she also sat down.

"You're wondering why I'm not still in prison, right?" Faith asked before digging into her eggs and bacon.

Buffy nodded as she took a bite out of her toast. She hadn't thought she was hungry, but once she started eating, she regained her appetite, and the two slayers began eating heartily as they talked.

"After you died, the Council contacted me and offered to get me out of prison if I'd resume my slayer duties here in Sunnydale. I said yes, obviously." She waved her hands indicating where she was.

"How long have you been here?"

Faith looked up at the clock on the wall. "Uhhh...about six hours."

"What?" Buffy exclaimed in surprise. "You just got here _last night_?"

"Yep. Just in time for the biker dudes from hell," Faith said ruefully.

Buffy glanced away to think. She and Faith had come back to Sunnydale on the very same night? What the heck did that mean?

"At first I didn't want to."

"Huh?" Buffy said, her attention snapping back to Faith. She had lost track of the conversation due to her own thoughts. "Sorry. Mental tangent."

"At first I didn't want to take the Council's offer," Faith repeated.

"Didn't miss the slayer life, huh?" Buffy asked.

"No, I missed it all right. I just didn't feel like I deserved it. I was in prison for a reason. I didn't deserve to be free."

Buffy didn't say it aloud, but she couldn't help thinking how different Faith was. Before, Faith had done everything she could to avoid taking responsibility for her actions. Now, she was the exact opposite.

"Plus, I wasn't sure if I could trust the Council," Faith continued. "I mean, last time I saw 'em, they were trying to put a bullet in my head. But…you were gone…and I was 'it'. The one and only 'one girl in all the world'."

Buffy forced a chuckle. "I bet you were happy about that." When she looked over at Faith, though, she saw a very unhappy expression.

"You were _dead_, B. How was I supposed to be happy about that?"

"Sorry. I just thought that-I mean, you wanted me dead before, and the last time we met, I was-" Buffy gathered her thoughts a second and then calmly pronounced, "I was a cold-hearted, self-righteous bitch."

Faith went into an instant coughing fit as she nearly choked on her toast. She had _not_ expected those words to come out of Buffy's mouth. Like _ever_.

At Faith's reaction, Buffy said somewhat sheepishly, "Well, I was."

Faith downed the rest of her juice to get her voice back. "Hey, you had a right to be, okay? I screwed you over something good." She shook her head before adding, "Still don't know why you saved my life that night. You coulda just let those Council goons kill me."

"No, I-I-I couldn't..." Buffy said, frowning in confusion. She could see the 'why not' question in Faith's eyes, but she didn't have a clear answer to it, so she simply repeated herself, "I just...couldn't."

An awkward lull entered the conversation, and both slayers started fidgeting. Buffy dropped her gaze to her uneaten food, using her fork to push the remaining eggs around on her plate. Faith picked at the plastic label on her empty bottle of juice, trying to get up the courage to say what she really wanted to say. Finally, Faith raised her head and broke the silence.

"Look, I know I'm probably gonna get that 'death beating' you promised me in L.A., but I gotta say it, at least this once..._I'm sorry_." She poured all of her heart into those two words, hoping that Buffy could see that she meant them. Then she hung her head again and went on. "Ever since I left here, that's all I've wanted to do-to apologize to you, to somehow try to make things right even though I know I never can. When you died, I thought I'd lost my chance. I thought I'd never see you again, that I'd never get the chance to tell you..."

Faith stopped when she felt Buffy reach across the table and take her hand. She looked up and met her gaze.

"I'm sorry, too," Buffy told her with the same heart-felt sincerity.

The two slayers stared intently for a long moment before exchanging small smiles. Then they turned their attention back to their food.

"I know you haven't been here long," Buffy said after taking a sip of juice, "but do you know what happened after I died? I-I-Is Dawn okay? Is everybody okay?"

"Everybody's fine," Faith assured her. "I don't know how the battle and the aftermath went down exactly, I just know that everybody's okay. Dawn's still at your house. Willow and Tara moved in to take care of her. Giles went home to England, though. Hey, did you know they have a robot you? I think they call it the Buffybot?"

Buffy flushed in embarrassment. "Ahhh, yeah."

"So, how'd that happen?" Faith asked when Buffy didn't elaborate.

"Long, _long_ story..." Buffy replied, clearly trying to avoid answering.

Faith smirked but chose not to press her advantage at that particular moment. She rose from her chair and picked up her empty plate. "Well, some day you're gonna tell it to me," she informed her before heading for the sink.

"Oh, I am, am I?" Buffy objected as she too stood and carried her plate into the kitchen.

"If you don't, I'll just get it from your friends, and then you won't be able to censor it," Faith shot back as Buffy joined her at the sink.

Buffy narrowed her eyes in a mock glare, but she didn't have a comeback for Faith's threat. Instead, she just hip-bumped Faith away from the sink. "I'll wash, you dry."

Faith gave her an 'excuse-me' look but then just picked up the kitchen towel. "Still bossy," she grumbled.

"Still whiny," Buffy countered as she handed over the first washed and rinsed plate.

They shared a playful grin as they continued dish duty.

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Kitchen - A Short Time Later**

As Faith put away the last of the dishes, Buffy leaned against the counter, a worried look on her face.

"I guess I should go home and see everybody," Buffy said but without the least bit of enthusiasm.

"Yeah, you probably should," Faith agreed. "They need to know you're here. Especially Dawn. Kid's gonna be ecstatic that you're back. The others too. They're gonna be freakin' out, but in a totally good way."

"Yeah."

When Faith noticed Buffy's apprehension, she stepped closer and asked, "What's up? Why aren't you happy about going home?"

"I don't know," Buffy said in a strained voice. "I think...I think I came back wrong."

"What? No way. Why would you even think that?"

"I should be worried about my sister and-and my friends, about what happened to them after I died...I should be thrilled about seeing them again, about being back with them...but I'm _not_." She shot a pleading glance at Faith. "What's wrong with me?"

"_Nothing_ is wrong with you," Faith insisted as she lightly grasped Buffy's arms. "You just got yanked out of heaven and dumped back on the hellmouth in the suckiest resurrection ever. It's gonna take some time to adjust, to feel normal again. They'll get that."

"I guess so," Buffy replied as Faith released her.

"Plus, maybe Red can figure out the whole 'back from the dead' thing for ya."

Buffy nodded, seemingly taking a measure of comfort from that idea.

"If she can't figure it out," Faith added, "we can turn it over to the Doc when she gets here."

"The Doc?"

"Dr. Raine...my new watcher. She'll be here in about a week."

"She's not evil, is she?" Buffy had to ask.

"No, but she has an evil brother." When Buffy shot her a puzzled look, Faith explained. "Her brother's Quentin Travers."

"Are you sure she's not evil? It could run in the family."

"I'm sure. She's cool. Probably means she's adopted." Faith gave Buffy a nudge. "Come on, let's get you in a jacket and some shoes so we can head over to your house."

**Cut To:**

**Outside The Apartment - Minutes Later**

Buffy was a little wary as they stepped outside into the early morning light. Her eyes darted nervously about as if she expected demons to descend upon them at any moment.

"It's okay," Faith assured her. "I checked things out this morning before you woke up. The Hellions are either dead or long gone." She pointed out her new bike. "You wanna ride?"

Buffy's eyes widened when she recognized the bike as one of the Hellions' motorcycles. She shot Faith a questioning glance.

"Hey, no sense lettin' somebody else have it," Faith said in defense. "I won it fair and square, spoils o' war and all that."

"Yes. Yes, you did," Buffy said, smiling briefly. Then she quickly sobered. "I-I-I think I'd rather walk...i-i-if that's okay. Maybe clear my head a little before we get there."

"Sure, no prob," Faith replied.

At that, the two slayers began a slow walk through town. When they reached a certain intersection, though, Buffy stopped and looked down the opposite street. Faith moved to look at what had caught Buffy's attention. In the distance she saw a tall metal tower that clearly didn't belong in its current setting.

"What the hell is that?"

Buffy didn't answer; she just turned and headed in that direction.

**Cut To:**

**Glory's Tower - Moments Later**

As Buffy walked purposefully through the abandoned construction site, Faith just followed along, unsure of where they were going or why. She was even more confused when Buffy stopped right in front of a pallet of bricks at the base of the tower.

"What is this place?" Faith asked.

"This is where I died."

Faith closed her eyes in a wince. "Awww, shit, Buffy..." When she opened her eyes and saw the blonde's gaze move upwards, she moved closer and looked up. "What happened?" she gently asked. "Doc didn't tell me much."

"Glory had Dawn up there, at the very top. She was going to use her to open a doorway to the hell dimension she came from, but I got there too late. The ritual had already started, and the portal was opening right below us, and the only way to stop it was for one of us to die. I couldn't let Dawn die. So I jumped into the portal..."

"Jesus, B..."

"...the fall seemed to last forever...and I felt like I was being ripped apart...and then..."

When Buffy didn't go on, Faith asked, "Is that what you were dreaming about this morning?"

"I...I don't know..." Buffy said, dropping her gaze to the pallet of bricks. She wanted to say, 'Yes, it must've been,' but something inside her told her that she hadn't been dreaming about that at all.

Neither slayer said anything for a long time. They just stared in silence at the place where Buffy had breathed her last. After a while, Faith finally spoke up.

"I felt it when you died," she softly admitted.

Buffy turned surprised eyes in Faith's direction. "Really?"

Faith nodded then met her gaze. "Worst day of my life. Felt like a part o' me died with you."

Buffy was touched and gave her a warm smile, which Faith returned.

Without another word, they turned their backs on the tower and made their way out of the construction site.


	10. Chapter 10

**FOLLOW YOUR HEART**

**BY DRAGONWRITER 17**

**Part 10**

AN: Sorry for the long wait! Real life has been demand of late. As for the story, I borrowed bits and pieces from several BTVS eps in this chapter, such as "Tabula Rasa" and "Faith, Hope and Trick." I've also stolen and slightly modified a behind-the-scenes flashback from another story of mine ("The Buffy Tapes"). I consider this flashback scene to be part of the backstory for "Follow Your Heart." I hated having to recycle a piece of a previous story, but I just love this scene so much, and it really fits well here.

**Fade In:**

**Revello Drive - Early Morning**

When they got to the corner of the Summers yard, Buffy froze on the sidewalk and eyed her former house with trepidation.

"I-I-I don't think I can do this..." she whispered.

Faith stepped in between Buffy and the house and touched the slayer's arm. "You want me to go in first and break the news and make 'em calm down?"

Buffy glanced around nervously as if torn between being left alone and sending Faith inside.

"I'll make it quick," Faith promised.

After a moment of indecision, Buffy finally nodded.

"Be right back," Faith said before turning around and heading for the house.

Buffy wrung her hands as she watched Faith turn onto the sidewalk that led to the Summers home. As Faith moved further and further away from her, she felt her sense of dread and worry increase with each step. Buffy tightened her hands into fists and turned away, forcing herself to calm down.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Moments Later**

Faith walked up to the front door, glanced back at Buffy for a second, then rang the bell. When the door was opened, she started to speak but was cut off.

"Faith! Thank god you're here!" Dawn exclaimed before rolling her eyes in disgust. "I can't believe I'm saying it, but…thank god you're here!" She grabbed Faith's arm and dragged the slayer into the house. "We've got biker demons all over the place and-" She stopped to yell toward the kitchen, "Willow! Tara! Faith's here!" When she turned back, she scrunched up her nose at the sight of Faith's battered face. "Jeez, what happened to you?"

"Big showdown with the biker demons you mentioned," Faith answered. "You don't have to worry about them anymore."

Dawn turned and started to yell again, "Willow! Tara! Faith's-"

"-here. Heard ya the first time," Willow finished as she and Tara walked into the living room. The redhead shot a haughty glance at the dark slayer. "Faith," she greeted in an icy tone.

"Willow," Faith replied, snarkily matching her coolness.

When Faith turned to her, Tara gave a quick smile and said, "I'm Tara."

"Yeah, I remember," Faith noted.

"Oh! Right," Tara said, remembering that Faith had been in Buffy's body at the time.

"Faith took care of the biker demons," Dawn announced.

A look of relief came over the witches' faces, but then Willow stiffened in defensiveness.

"We would've dealt with them-" she started to explain.

"-but we were kinda wiped out after-" Tara added without thinking.

"Like I said," Willow cut her off, "we would've dealt with them."

"Are we gonna have a Scoobies meeting?" Dawn asked. "Should I wake up Xander and Anya?"

"Ummm, yeah, sure," Willow answered. "They're probably gonna want to go home after breakfast anyway."

As Dawn rushed up the stairs, Faith, Willow, and Tara stood fidgeting in the awkward quiet until Willow turned and headed into the dining room. Tara and Faith followed. While Willow went about moving her laptop from the end of the table to the buffet, Tara finally broke the silence.

"So...how was your trip from, ummm…?"

"The pen?" Faith prompted.

Tara blushed in embarrassment at her lame question. "Yeah."

"It was fine till I got here," Faith answered. "Biker demons trashed the bus-while me and everybody else was still in it."

Tara frowned in concern, but Willow just gave a sigh of disinterest. Then the three heard footsteps and voices as Dawn returned with Xander and Anya.

"Next time we're going home no matter how many demons there are," Anya griped. "That bed is _not_ guest-friendly."

Xander ignored his girlfriend's complaining as they entered the dining room. When his gaze met Faith's, he said, "Kinda early for you, isn't it?"

"Yeah, well, things change," Faith replied, not knowing what else to say.

After another tense moment, Willow gestured toward the table. "Come on, let's sit down and get this over with." Once they were all seated, she started her spiel. "Okay, Faith, we know the Council's all gung-ho about you being here, but-"

Thinking of Buffy waiting outside, Faith impatiently interrupted. "Look, spare me the lecture, okay? I got something important to tell ya, but it's gonna sound crazy, so hear me out." She took a deep breath and then said, "Buffy's alive."

"What?" Dawn asked. Her expression was surprised, but there was hope in her eyes.

"Buffy's alive," Faith repeated. "I've seen her."

Xander shook his head in confusion. He looked at Anya and then Tara before settling on Willow. "But I thought-"

Willow waved her hand dismissively. "She just saw Buffybot. That's all."

Xander and Dawn both slumped in disappointment.

"No, this wasn't your little RoboSlayer," Faith insisted. "Robots don't bleed. This was Buffy, in the flesh."

Willow's face instantly lit up. "I-I-It worked! I _knew_ it was working!" She turned to Tara and grasped her hand. "I felt the energies shift, right at the last second. But then the urn was destroyed and..."

As Willow, Tara, and Xander chattered on in excitement, Dawn just sat there in shock. Anya, however, kept a skeptical eye on Faith, sensing that there was more to the story.

"You? You brought Buffy back?" Faith demanded.

"Me, Tara, and Anya," Willow proudly answered. "We got interrupted by those biker demons, though, so we didn't think it worked."

"Buffy's alive? Where is she?" Dawn interjected when she was finally able to speak. Then she turned on Willow and the others, "And why didn't you tell me what you were doing?"

The Scoobies went into another loud simultaneous babble-fest until Faith suddenly stood up and slapped her hand onto the table, startling them into silence.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" she growled at them.

"Oh no…she came back wrong, didn't she?" Anya asked. "Does she look like a Picasso painting?"

"Of course she didn't come back wrong!" Xander scolded Anya. Then he quickly turned to Faith for confirmation. "Did she?"

"Well, you tell me," the slayer accused sarcastically. "She was resting in peace in heaven, got ripped outta there and dropped into her own coffin six feet under, had to claw her way out of her own grave into a Sunnydale overrun by rampaging biker demons, and _no one was there to help her_! What do you think?"

She glared at the group, and they all looked away in shame. She let out a calming breath before sitting back down.

"By the time I found her, she was so traumatized she thought she was in hell."

Tara tilted her head to the side. "But…she _was_ in hell. Before, I mean. Wasn't she? We thought-"

"I know," Faith said. "We all thought it. But she wasn't. She was someplace nice. Like heaven."

A sickened look of horror came over the Scoobies' faces.

"Oh god…" Willow whispered, tears filling her eyes.

"We didn't know, we didn't know…" Xander said.

For a long moment, no one said a word. Each person stared at the surface of the table trying to come to terms with the revelation. Eventually, Dawn spoke up.

"Where's Buffy?" she asked in a plaintive voice. "I wanna see her."

"I'll go get her," Faith said as she rose to her feet again. "But when she comes in, give her some space, okay? Don't mob her all at once."

Faith left the room and headed for the front door.

**Cut To:**

**Revello Drive - Moments Later**

At the corner of the front yard, Buffy paced the sidewalk. At Faith's absence, all of her pain had returned and was now compounded by new anxieties racing through her mind.

_What's taking so long_? she thought.

_Maybe they're freaking out. Like in a bad way._

_Or maybe they don't believe her. It __is__ Faith, after all. Maybe they think she's making it up. _

_Or maybe-_

Buffy's inner worrying was cut off when she heard the front door open. She turned to see Faith coming down the steps. She waited anxiously as the brunette headed her way.

"How did they take it?" Buffy asked when the dark slayer reached her.

"Not like I expected, that's for sure."

"W-W-What do you mean?"

Faith ran a hand through her hair and then met Buffy's eyes. "I don't know how to tell ya this, B, so I'm just gonna say it flat out...They're the ones who brought you back."

"What?" Buffy asked in shock.

"Willow and Tara and Xander's girlfriend…they did the spell that brought you back."

Buffy couldn't utter a word. _My friends did this?_ she thought. _Brought me back to a life where everything hurts?_

"They didn't know you were heaven. They thought you went to that hellgod's dimension. They thought they were saving you."

Buffy's expression remained one of turmoil. Faith couldn't stand to see her fellow slayer in such anguish, so she tried to put a positive spin on things.

"They're glad you're back, though," she told her with a smile. "They missed you. They love you."

For a long moment, Buffy said nothing. She just stood there looking shell-shocked. Eventually, Faith felt the need to prompt her.

"They're waiting for you. Do you still want to see 'em?"

Buffy didn't answer. She just numbly began moving toward the house. Not knowing what else to do, Faith followed alongside of her.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Moments Later**

When they reached the porch, Faith moved ahead of Buffy and opened the door. After walking inside, she stepped to the left to allow Buffy to enter. Then she shut the door behind them.

The Scoobies were clustered at the base of the stairs, clinging to each other, frozen to the spot by Faith's earlier words. One glance at Buffy confirmed everything Faith had told them-from the slayer's battered hands to the traumatized, haunted look in her eyes.

Dawn was the first to break free from the group and step forward. She softly spoke her sister's name, cautiously moved closer, then engaged in a tentative hug. "I'm so glad you're home," she said.

Buffy mechanically returned the embrace.

Willow came forward with Xander. "We're _so_ sorry," she said, crying. "We didn't know…"

Even Anya seemed upset as she and Tara joined the group. Buffy just nodded in response and endured the hugs and touches.

"We, um, we were just getting ready to have breakfast," Tara offered. "Do you maybe want something...?"

"No," Buffy replied flatly. "Thanks. I'm not hungry. But you can go ahead."

As the Scoobies murmured more apologies and made small talk about breakfast, they slowly but surely led Buffy into the dining room and away from Faith, as if the other slayer didn't even exist. Faith considered leaving, but when she saw Buffy glance back at her, she moved away from the front door and stood at the outskirts of the dining room, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her borrowed jacket.

As Anya and Xander helped Tara bring juice, milk, and danishes to the table, Buffy sat at the end where Faith had been earlier. Willow and Dawn sat on each side of her. Soon the others joined them, but none of them could take their eyes off Buffy long enough to eat or drink anything.

"We're so sorry for bringing you back like we did," Willow said.

"We should've known better," Xander said bitterly. "We should have known that you wouldn't just materialize like a transporter beam or something."

"I didn't know what they were up to," Dawn said, "but if I had, I would've wanted them to do it." She dropped her gaze to her hands. "I don't know how many times I pulled out that resurrection spell that I tried to use when Mom died. Every day I wished and prayed for a way to get you back." She looked back up and grasped her sister's hand. "But I wouldn't have if I'd known you were in heaven."

"I know," Buffy said, trying not to let her pain seep through her facade. She could see how guilt-ridden they all were. There was no sense in making them feel worse than they already did.

"Did you...did you see Mom?" Dawn asked.

Buffy opened her mouth to speak, but at first no words came out. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "I...I don't know...I can't remember..."

"Ah, I'm sure you did," Xander interjected jovially as he took up a danish. "You and the Momster, hanging out in the heavenly kitchen, pigging out on french vanilla ice ceam and chocolate chip cookies, talking about your favorite chick flicks..."

Everyone chuckled along with Xander-even Buffy, although her laughter was solely for their benefit.

When Faith saw Buffy laughing with her fellow Scoobies, she glanced away and began fingering the motorcycle keys in her pocket.

_Damn, I need a smoke_, she thought.

She stopped fiddling with her keys and pulled out her lighter. She flipped it end over end several times. She looked back to the dining room but found no one looking back at her. She glanced away and let out a sigh.

_Come on_, she told herself. _You did your good deed, you brought the lost kid home, now it's time to get outta here._

Without a word to the others, she slipped out of the room and out the front door.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Front Porch - Continuous**

As soon as Faith got outside, she pulled out her Lucky Strikes and lit up a cigarette. She paced the porch for a bit, trying to erase the sting of being left out and ignored. She felt that old sense of rejection-and the rage that came with it-creeping up inside her, and it took all of her will to force those feelings back down.

_What were you expecting? _her mind snidely remarked. _A 'Welcome Back' banner_ _with party hats and confetti?_

"Hey."

Faith whipped around at the voice and found Tara standing a few feet away from her. "Hey," she answered, hoping that the blonde hadn't noticed how much she'd just scared the beejesus out of her. "Is Buffy okay?" she asked, thinking that was the only reason Tara had come outside.

"Oh, um, yeah…I mean, I guess," Tara said, glancing back for a second at the front door. "She seems okay. As okay as she can be, anyway."

"Oh. Okay," Faith said, relaxing a little.

"I just wanted to check on you. Do you want a juice or something?"

Faith shook her head and put on a rueful smile. "You don't have to be nice to me, you know. I treated you like shit when I was in Buffy's body, and I threatened to kill most of the others, so I'm not expecting a warm welcome."

"Well, you probably won't get one," Tara admitted. "Not from the others at least. But you are welcome." She smiled sincerely and even reached out to briefly touch the slayer's arm. "I'm glad you're here, Faith."

Faith's eyebrows shot up, and she looked at Tara intently. "You're different."

Tara was taken aback by Faith's statement. "What?"

"You're not so shy and stuttery."

Tara ducked her head in momentary embarrassment, causing Faith to scramble to rephrase.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-I mean-it looks good on you, that's all I'm trying to say." _Jesus, Lehane, you're a fuckin' idiot sometimes, _she mentally cursed herself as she took a long drag off her cigarette.

Tara looked up and smiled, clearly touched by Faith's words. "Thanks," she told her before gesturing at her cigarette. "That's a nasty habit, you know…" she teased.

"Yeah, well, prison'll do that to ya...teach ya all kinds o' bad habits. Most people come out worse than they were before they went in."

Tara gazed at Faith curiously. "But you didn't."

Faith snorted in reply. "How would you know? Maybe I've got the Council fooled. Maybe I'm the same crazy killer I was when I got sent to jail."

Tara shook her head. "Nope. I can tell. And even if I couldn't…would a 'crazy killer' risk her life fighting demons all night? Would she take care of someone she used to hate?"

It was Faith's turn to be embarrassed. She glanced away and said, "Look, I gotta go." She didn't wait for a response. She threw down her cigarette, stamped it out, then hurried down the steps toward the sidewalk.

"But where are you going?" Tara called out.

Faith didn't answer.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Dining Room - Moments Later**

When Tara came back into the house without Faith, Buffy's anxiety level went through the roof.

"Where's Faith?" she asked worriedly.

"Um, she left," Tara replied.

"She left?" Buffy said, shooting to her feet, her agitation now apparent to the others. "Well...w-w-where's she going? I-I-Is she coming back?"

"Oh, um, yeah. I mean, I'm sure she is," Tara assured her. "She probably just had some stuff to do. She'll be back before you know it."

When Buffy saw the concerned expressions on the others' faces, she realized that she was probably over-reacting. "Right. You're probably right," she said, slipping back into her seat.

_She's fine, so get a grip_, Buffy told herself. _Besides, I'm sure she has better things to do than babysit the hysterical slayer who's back from the dead._

Buffy turned back to Dawn and tried to pay attention as the teen enthusiastically resumed the story she had been telling.

**Cut To:**

**Apartment - Minutes Later**

After leaving the Summers home, Faith returned to the apartment behind the furniture store. As she turned into the alley, she was glad to see that her newly acquired motorcycle was just where she had left it. She gave the bike a caress before entering the outer door and going up the stairs to the apartment.

When she got to the stoop on the second floor, she knocked on the front door. She didn't expect to get an answer, but she figured it was better to be safe than sorry. After a few seconds of silent waiting, she opened the door.

As she pushed the door forward, she stopped to look at it more closely. She hadn't noticed it before, but she could see now that the lock had been broken, presumably when Buffy had kicked the door in after saving Faith from the Hellions.

_Hate to leave it like that_, she thought, imagining what could happen while the owner was still away. _I'll have to tell somebody, see if they can get it fixed._

After leaving the front door, she went into the kitchen, opened the cabinet under the sink, and grabbed a garbage bag. Then she headed for the bathroom that was off the bedroom. When she got there, she picked up her 'demon-gunked' clothes and crammed them into the bag. When she gathered up Buffy's clothes, she looked at them for a moment, then shook her head and stuffed them into the bathroom's tiny garbage can, shoes and all.

_No way is she gonna want these back._

After making up the bed, Faith picked up her bag and left the apartment.

**Cut To:**

**Furniture Store Front - Moments Later**

After tying the garbage bag to her bike, Faith started the engine. She drove down the alley, went around the block, and then pulled directly in front of the furniture store. She looked through the broken display windows but didn't see any movement inside.

_I'll come back later_, she thought to herself. _Maybe somebody'll know who lives back there._

With her bike still idling, she considered her next move.

"Guess I could go see if my bag survived the bus fire," she said, thinking aloud this time.

She scoffed at her own suggestion. "It exploded in a fiery ball, you moron. Your bag's history."

She patted the front of her jacket. "Good thing I kept my wallet in my pocket. Gotta get some clothes, though. Guess I'll hit the thrift store. Maybe it got skipped over in the looting."

**Cut To:**

**Downtowner Motel - Lobby - A Short Time Later**

Fortunately for Faith, the thrift store, as well as the small discount store next to it, had emerged unscathed from the previous night's attack. Both had opened early and had been doing brisk business when Faith had gone in to get clothes and other personal necessities.

Now carrying those purchases and her dirty clothes in an off-white canvas laundry bag, Faith stepped into the lobby of an all-too-familiar place-the Downtowner Motel. Its decor, if it could even be called that, was the same old faded and outdated orange.

_God, I hate this place. Why did I even come here? _she asked herself.

_Because it's still the cheapest place in town and you're not sure when your watcher's gonna get here with more cash._

She let out an unhappy grumble and headed for the front desk. She didn't recognize the clerk, but that didn't surprise her. The place had changed management about every three months when she'd lived there before.

"I need a room," she said as she reached the desk.

"Check-in's not until three o'clock," the clerk informed her.

Faith snorted. "Yeah, right. Look, we both know this place has check-ins every hour on the hour, so do you have a room or not?"

The clerk rolled his eyes and then glanced down at his chart. When he looked up, he said, "Thirty a night. Two hundred a week. Cash. In advance."

_Thirty a night?_ Faith thought to herself. _Three years ago it was __eighteen__. Talk about inflation._

Faith pulled out her wallet and handed over enough money for a week. Once she had signed the registration card, the clerk passed her the key and said, "You'll be in number three."

Faith's hand froze in the middle of taking the key, and she let her head fall back against her shoulders. _Are you fuckin' kidding me? The same damn room? _she mentally complained to the universe. Then she tilted her head back down and asked the clerk, "You got any others?"

The clerk crossed his arms and gave her a snide smile. "Nope."

Resigned to her irony, Faith took the key and trudged away from the desk.

**Cut To:**

**Faith's Motel Room - Minutes Later**

With her sack of stuff slung over her shoulder, Faith unlocked the door and stepped inside. She flicked on the light and scanned the room, hoping that it looked better than it had when she had lived there before. Unfortunately, it looked exactly the same, right down to the dingy walls, the dated furniture, and the pathetic excuse of a television.

When her eyes fell on the interior side of the door, her mind took her back time.

**Flashback to "Faith, Hope and Trick"**

**Faith's Motel Room - Night**

Buffy had just informed Faith that Kakistos was in Sunnydale, and now she was packing as fast as she could.

"You don't know me," Faith told her. "You don't know what I've been through." She finished cramming her belongings into her bag and headed for the door. "I'll take care of this, all right?"

"Like you took care of your Watcher?" Buffy countered.

Faith stopped cold. She let go of the doorknob and looked down sadly.

"Kakistos killed her, didn't he?" Buffy asked.

Faith clenched her jaw. "They don't have a word for what he did to her."

When they heard a knock at the door, Faith looked through the peephole and saw the manager, looking more strung out than usual.

"Oh, what now?" she groaned in annoyance as she reached for the doorknob.

"Faith, you run, he runs after you," Buffy reminded her.

"That's where the headstart comes in handy," she replied as she opened the door.

Standing behind the dead manager, holding him up, was Kakistos. Aghast, Faith stepped back into the room. Kakistos dropped the manager's body and smiled at her.

"Faith," he said in a pleased voice before roaring and grabbing the dark slayer by the neck.

"No!" She clawed at his wrist, trying to pull him off of her, but he was too strong.

Buffy rushed up between them, shoved Faith back into the room, forcing

Kakistos to let go. Then she slammed the door on his arm. He yelled in rage and pain until he eventually had to pull his arm out. Buffy slammed the door shut, locked it, and put on the safety chain.

**Cut To:**

**Faith's Motel Room - Resume Present Time**

Faith closed her eyes and shook her head, willing the unpleasant memory away. She sighed and set her bag down on the floor by the dresser.

"Just another time Buffy had to save my ass..." she grumbled as she plopped onto the bed. She scooted back and leaned on the pillows resting against the headboard. "Just another time she tried to help me and I pushed her away..."

She thought back to the other times Buffy had reached out to her and she had pushed the blonde away-after Gwendolyn Post had been revealed as a fraud, after Faith had killed Allan Finch, after Wesley had tried to take her into Council custody.

"Why did I push her away like that?"

She had asked herself that question a million times, and she still wasn't sure of the answer.

Did she think Buffy would betray her again? Or did she just hate being pitied?

Was she really better off alone? Or was she just too scared to open up, to make herself vulnerable?

Or maybe...deep inside...she just knew that Buffy would never love her.

And Faith had come to hate her for that.

The few times Faith'd had the courage to even try to get closer, Buffy had rejected her.

When they kissed for the first time, Buffy had freaked out and thrown herself into all things Scott Hope.

When their stag homecoming date led to a second and more emotionally intimate kiss, Buffy had predictably pulled away. Later, when Faith found out that Buffy had been hiding Angel's return, the sense of betrayal had felt like a humiliating slap in the face.

After that, Faith had distanced herself, avoiding her fellow slayer at all costs, even to the point of turning down her first-ever invitation to a real family Christmas. Ultimately, Faith had changed her mind and had surprised the blonde by showing up at the house on Christmas Eve night, "crappy" gifts in hand.

Although the smile on Buffy's face had lit up Faith's heart, the evening hadn't gone as planned. Mere moments after Faith's arrival, Buffy had run after the troubled Angel, once again leaving the dark slayer behind.

When Buffy returned the next morning shortly after sunrise, she had found Faith on watch, as promised, and her mother and sister long since in bed.

**Flashback to "Amends"**

**Summers Home - Living Room - Early Morning**

Faith was walking the floor for the fiftieth time in the last hour, debating whether or not to go looking for Buffy, when she heard the front door open. She whipped around and then let out a relieved breath when she saw a safe-and-sound Buffy come inside and shut the door.

Faith's sense of relief faded when she saw Buffy walk wearily to the sofa and plop down. For hours, she'd been worried that Angel had killed Buffy. Now, seeing the defeated look on Buffy's face, she was worried about the opposite scenario-that Buffy had been forced to kill him...again.

After a moment of feet shuffling and hand wringing, Faith went and sat on the edge of the couch near the blonde.

"So, um...how'd things go?" Faith made herself ask. "Is Angel okay?"

Buffy sighed heavily and nodded, then leaned up and rested her elbows on her knees. "I think he's free of the hold the First had on him. I'm sure he'll be fine now."

"Good. That's good," Faith said evenly before glancing away.

The two fell into awkward silence. Faith's eyes darted around the room, landing anywhere but on Buffy as she struggled to come up with something appropriate to say. Although a part of her wished that Angel really was dead, she didn't want it to be at Buffy's hand. She couldn't imagine putting her through that.

The sudden sound of a stifled sob brought Faith out of her thoughts and made her turn immediately to Buffy. She found the blonde covering her face with both hands and crying hard-something Faith had never seen.

Hesitantly, Faith moved closer and placed a hand on Buffy's back. "Hey, a-a-are you okay? What's the matter? What's wrong?"

At first, Buffy only sobbed louder. Then she sat up and dropped her hands. "Everything," she whispered in a choked voice. "I almost lost Angel today." She turned to face Faith and made a helpless shrug. "He was going to kill himself. Just let sunrise catch him on an isolated ridge."

"But...you saved him, right?"

Buffy shook her head. "Not me. I tried, but he wouldn't listen, and then time ran out, and-"

Buffy slumped for a moment, as if giving up on how to explain what had happened. Then she got up and walked to the window. Faith followed. Buffy opened the curtain and gestured at the snow still falling outside. Faith got it: heavy cloud cover plus showers of snow equaled no sun.

"It was a miracle," Buffy said, but without any awe or elation. Instead, she had hopeless tears streaming down her face. She looked at Faith, who stood beside her. "I should be happy. Angel's alive, and we even got to walk around town together in the daytime...I should be happy, but I'm not."

Buffy's crying was turning into sobs again, but this time into angry, frustrated ones. She went on in a shuddering voice as she paced the living room floor.

"It doesn't change anything! One stupid snow-day walk doesn't change a single thing! It's just a cruel reminder of what Angel and I can never have!" Her rage temporarily spent, Buffy stopped pacing and brought her hands to her face again. "It's not fair," she sobbed, "it's not fair..."

Faith hurried over to Buffy and quickly pulled her into a warm hug. She gently stroked Buffy's back as the blonde cried against her. "It's okay," she told her. "It's okay. I've got you." She repeated those words many times before Buffy's sobs finally subsided.

Buffy pulled back from their embrace but not away. Her eyes were anguished as she met Faith's concerned gaze. "What am I going to do?" she pleaded hoarsely, tears still trickling down her face. "I-"

"Shhhh," Faith whispered, reaching up to brush the tears from Buffy's cheek with her thumb. "Don't worry about that right now. Everything will be okay. You'll see."

Buffy's eyes softened in heartfelt gratitude, and when Faith leaned forward and placed a comforting kiss on her lips, she couldn't help but respond. She lifted her hand to Faith's cheek, caressing it as she eagerly returned the dark slayer's embrace.

But then, as before, something inside Buffy eventually made her stop. She forced herself to pull out of the kiss and to place her hand against Faith's chest. "I can't," she whispered, her eyes downcast. "I just...can't..."

Faith cupped Buffy's cheek and waited for her to glance back up. When she did, she softly asked, "Why not? I know you want to."

Buffy's expression was agonized as the two slayers stared deeply into each other's eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, Buffy pulled out of Faith's arms and backed away.

"Because I'm too screwed up right now to even think about another relationship," she answered, her gaze averted. After letting out a deep breath, she added ruefully, "Besides...I know this is just a fling for you, and I-"

Faith instantly cut her off, "What if I told you it wasn't?"

_What the __hell__ are you doin'?_ Faith's mind screamed at her. _She will __never__ let go of Angel. You're just beggin' for a heartbreak._

Faith didn't waver, though. She just anxiously waited for Buffy's answer.

At the blurted-out question, Buffy's head had shot up. Now shock was on her face as she saw the sincerity in Faith's eyes. For a moment, she seemed to consider the brunette's unspoken offer, but then she dropped her gaze and silently shook her head.

Faith had to look away. _Told_ _ya_, her mind huffed at her. She could feel her eyes welling up, but she gritted her teeth and clenched her jaw and forced the sadness down. "I should go," she said, heading for the front door.

"Faith!" Buffy called out.

She ignored Buffy's plea and continued toward the door, talking over her shoulder. "Thanks for inviting me. I'll see you around."

Without another word, Faith walked out of the door and into the cold winter day alone, tears rolling down her cheeks.

**Cut To:**

**Faith's Motel Room - Resume Present Time**

Faith blinked away the tears threatening to appear in her eyes.

_That was a long time ago_, she reminded herself as she rose from the bed. _No sense cryin' about it now. Didn't do any good then, sure as hell ain't gonna do any good now._

As she walked around the small room, her thoughts inexplicably kept returning to images of Buffy crying-how upset she'd been that Christmas morning, how shaken and traumatized she'd been just hours before when Faith had found her sobbing in the bedroom of the apartment behind the furniture store. She felt a strong urge to go and check on Buffy, but her mind immediately shot that idea down.

_You really think the Scoobies want you crashin' their big reunion party?_

_Besides, why would Buffy need __you__ when she's got her friends and her sister to take care of her?_

_Hell, the Council's probably gonna decide it doesn't need you either, so just ditch all this emotional shit, do your fuckin' job, and enjoy your freedom while you can. You're here on borrowed time anyway, you know that._

Faith sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Yeah, I know," she told herself.

She took off her jacket, kicked off her boots, and turned out the light. Then she crawled into the bed and closed her eyes, hoping that sleep would come.

**Fade Out.**

**Fade In:**

**Summers Home - Living Room - Near Noon**

For the past several hours, Buffy had been subjected to an overly enthusiastic Scoobies catch-up party. Her sister and friends were filling her in on everything that had happened since her death. Although they did mention Giles's departure, they focused instead on the lighter events of the summer, always telling Buffy with each one that they wished she'd been there.

At the moment, Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya were laughing as Dawn told her sister about the infamous Parent-Teacher Day that had occurred days before.

"God, I was so worried that Buffybot would blow it," Dawn said, "but she did really well." Saddening a bit, she turned to Willow and Tara. "She didn't come home last night."

"I know," Tara said sympathetically. "We can go look for her tonight."

"She's probably still in the woods somewhere," Willow added. "We can use the handheld scanner..."

As Willow and the others went on, Buffy tried to stay focused on the conversation but was failing miserably. Her smiles were becoming noticeably forced, and she was beginning to fidget in her seat. She knew she couldn't take much more, especially when all she could think about was Faith.

_Where is she? Why hasn't she come back?_

_Maybe she ran away. Perfect chance to._

_No, she wouldn't. _Buffy turned and frowned at the front door. _Would_ _she?_

She couldn't even bear to consider that possibility. Just the thought of Faith leaving Sunnydale filled her with fear and anguish.

"Are you all right?"

Startled by the question directed at her, Buffy jumped slightly and turned back to the others. Struggling to compose herself, her gaze went from person to person; she didn't even know who had spoken. "I, um, I-I-I'm just...tired," she finally blurted. "Really tired," she added as she got to her feet. "I think I need to go lie down."

"Oh, um, okay," Willow said as everyone also stood up.

"Hey, no problem," Xander said with a smile. "We can do some more catching up later."

"Dawnie, why don't you take your sister upstairs? Show her where she can lie down?" Tara gave the teenager a pointed look, and Dawn got the message: Buffy didn't know about the room swapping yet.

"Right! Sure, I can do that. Come on, Buffy," Dawn said before leading her sister up the stairs.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Dawn's Bedroom - Moments Later**

Once they got to the second floor, Dawn turned around and stopped in the hallway. She twisted her fingers in a knot and gave her sister a worried look.

"Don't be mad, but...we kinda rearranged while you were gone." At Buffy's confused expression, Dawn pointed at the master bedroom. "Willow and Tara took Mom's room since it was bigger, and I, uhhh, I took your room."

Dawn winced, expecting an outraged objection from her sister, but all Buffy did was blink her eyes and say, "Oh."

"I didn't take it right away," Dawn rushed to explain. "For the longest time, we didn't change anything. And when Willow got Buffybot running again, that's where she slept. Well, _recharged_." She twisted her fingers in knots again, then made herself stop. "Sometimes I'd go in there and sleep next to her. It was almost like you weren't really gone. Almost. I just missed you so much." She let out a heavy sigh. "But after a while, it hurt more to pretend that you were still here, when I knew deep inside that you weren't and you were never going to be. I had to do something, so I moved Buffybot into my room, and..."

Dawn trailed off and gave a sheepish shrug, but Buffy didn't say anything in reply. She knew that she should feel something for Dawn, empathize with her grief somehow, but she couldn't. So she just walked past the teen and entered her room. She glanced around, trying to recognize some semblance of her former bedroom.

Dawn joined her and said, "I didn't change _everything_. See?" She went to her bed and picked up Mr. Gordo, Buffy's beloved stuffed pig. She handed the toy to her sister and smiled. "Why don't you nap here?" she suggested. "Anya and Xander's stuff is still in the other room, anyway."

Buffy felt a wave of emotion come over her. She couldn't speak, so she just nodded. Dawn gave her sister's arm a squeeze and then left the room.

The minute Dawn closed the door, Buffy turned away from it and drew in a heaving breath. She hugged Mr. Gordo to her chest and let the sobs come. She had held back her pain as long as she could, but now she had to let it out.

_None of this is right, none of this right_, she thought as she cried. _How can it be when it hurts so much? God, I wish Faith was here..._

Outside the room, Dawn leaned against the door, eavesdropping. When she heard Buffy crying, she frowned and dropped her gaze to the floor. After a moment, she walked away and headed back downstairs.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Living Room - Minutes Later **

When Dawn came back down, the others could tell she was upset.

"What is it, Dawnie?" Willow asked. "What happened?"

"She's crying," Dawn said. "I explained about the switching and took her to her room-my room-but she hardly said anything, and the second I shut the door to let her rest, she started crying. I could hear her in the hall."

"I'm sure it's not about the room, sweetie," Tara said reassuringly. "She's still recovering from a really bad trauma. She may cry a lot over the next few days."

"She got ripped out of heaven, she's lucky she's _sane_," Anya noted. "I'm just saying..." she added defensively at a glare from Xander.

"I'm just not used to Buffy _crying_," Dawn said as she returned to her previous seat. "Even when Mom died, she barely-" After a deep breath, she softly asked, "What do you think it was like? Being in heaven, I mean."

"We don't know," Tara answered honestly. "It could have been any number of heavenly dimensions. All we know is that...it was a good place and she was happy there."

"And we took her away from that," Willow said guiltily. "We wrecked it for her."

"We didn't wreck," Xander said. "We didn't know."

"We didn't wanna know," Willow said. "We were so selfish. _I_ was so selfish."

"Maybe we were," Xander admitted, "but I just feel weird feeling bad that my friend's not dead. It's...too mind-boggling. So I've decided to simplify the whole thing. Me like Buffy. Buffy's alive, so, me glad."

"I'm glad, too," Dawn added, "but...she's so _sad_. I wouldn't have wished for her to come back if I had known how much it would hurt her."

For a full minute, everyone stared off into guilt-ridden silence. Then Tara spoke up.

"Guys, we _have_ to stop obsessing about what we did and focus on making things better for Buffy."

Xander began to suggest possibilities. "We, ah, we need to spend time with her, just hang out. Maybe have...weekly dinners or something."

Willow brightened. "I have a better idea. I know this spell. It's called Tabula Rasa. I can make Buffy forget that she was ever in heaven."

"What?" Tara exclaimed in shock.

"It's perfect," Willow went on. "Without those memories, Buffy can-"

"No, Willow..._no_!" Tara said angrily. She opened her mouth as if to say more but then couldn't. She just made a fed-up growl and rushed upstairs.

After Tara left, Dawn gave Willow a disgusted look. "Way to go, Miss Sensitivity."

Willow was clueless. "What?"

"How can you even _suggest_ a spell like that after what Glory did to Tara?" Dawn demanded.

Willow still wasn't following. "But...I fixed that, I-"

Xander cut her off but gently. "Will, you can't 'fix' a rape, not even a mental one. Sure, you gave Tara her mind back, but she's always gonna remember what it was like to have somebody invade her brain."

"And now you're suggesting doing the same thing to Buffy," Anya pointed out.

"The Tabula Rasa spell is nothing like what Glory did," Willow insisted. "Buffy won't even know I was there. I'll just make a few tweaks and-"

Dawn shot to her feet. "Who died and made you God? You don't get to decide what stays in Buffy's brain and what doesn't!" She stormed off to the kitchen.

Anya rolled her eyes, already weary of the drama. "I'm gonna go get our stuff," she informed Xander.

Still dumbfounded, Willow turned to her best friend. "I-I-I was just trying to make things better..."

"I know, Will," Xander said, "but magic can't fix everything. Sometimes we gotta do things the old fashioned Muggles way."

"Just stand by and watch our friend suffer because of something we did?" Willow asked with tears in her eyes.

"Not standing by-standing _with_," he corrected. "We're gonna help Buffy through this."

He patted his friend's shoulder and then headed upstairs, leaving Willow all alone.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Willow & Tara's Bedroom - A Short Time Later**

After Xander and Anya had left and Dawn had given her the cold shoulder in the kitchen and stalked into the backyard, Willow cautiously made her way into the master bedroom. As she came in, she saw the blonde turn from the window and face her.

"Hey," Willow said as she quietly closed the door. She took a few steps toward her girlfriend and stopped. "I just wanted to apologize for what I said earlier. It was pretty insensitive considering what you've been through. I'm sorry."

Tara didn't seem amenable to apologies at the moment. "You can't just _violate_ somebody's mind like that," she warned her. "It's not right."

Willow held her hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, I get it."

Tara crossed her arms. "I don't think you do."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you don't seem sorry about the suggestion at all. I can see it in your eyes. All you're sorry about is saying anything to us about it. You wish you'd just stayed quiet and then done the spell on your own."

"Oh really?" Willow shot back. "Did you see that in my aura? Are you a mind reader now?"

"I don't have to be a mind reader to see that you are using too much magic!"

"What?" Willow asked in disbelief.

"Lately, any time things get rough-or even when nothing's rough at all-you don't even consider the options. You just...do a spell. It's not good for you, Willow. And it's not what magic is for."

"But I-I-I just wanna help people," Willow defended in a softer voice.

"Maybe that's how it started, but...you're helping yourself now. You can't stand the guilt of what we did to Buffy, so you wanna fix it with a spell."

"That...that is _not_ what's going on!" Willow argued, her anger returning.

"Look, I don't wanna talk about it anymore right now," Tara said, "I need to go down and make lunch for Dawn."

At that, Tara walked away, leaving a grumbling Willow behind.

"Jeez...they all act like I'm suggesting we lobotomize her or something," she muttered to herself. "Like I'd be that clumsy."

"And Tara was making it sound like it was all _my_ fault-that _I_ did this Buffy, that _I'm_ the one who made her so miserable. Hey, news flash! She was in on it, too. All of them were. They wanted Buffy back as much as I did. So if I'm to blame, then we _all_ are."

She stopped and thought for a moment. "Unlessssss..._Faith_ did something to her..."

Willow cocked her head, thinking once more, almost as if she were listening to someone who wasn't there.

And she was.

Standing behind Willow was a shadowy, mist of a figure, invisible to the human eye. Its long-fingered, insubstantial hands were resting on the redhead's shoulders as it whispered into her ear.

As Willow listened, her expression turned cold, and her narrowed eyes began to darken.


	11. Chapter 11

**FOLLOW YOUR HEART**

**By DragonWriter17**

**Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay, everybody. My life is very complicated at the moment. Thanks, as always, to Lilly, the bestest beta ever!**

**PART 11**

**Fade In:**

**Summers Home - Dawn's Room - Early Afternoon**

After Dawn had left her to rest, Buffy cried for a time. She curled up on the bed, hugging Mr. Gordo tightly, until sleep finally took her.

She didn't sleep well, though. After an hour or so, her troubled mind dragged her into restless dreams in which she relived the horrors of the previous night. In the latest of these nightmares, she was on Main Street again, watching Faith from a distance.

Faith was in a mob of the biker demons, mowing them down with systematic savagery. But once she'd narrowed the numbers to a handful, she began to show signs of exhaustion.

Buffy feared the worst and took off toward the battle. But as soon as she began running, she moved as if she were stuck in slow motion. Faith's fighting was still proceeding at normal speed, but Buffy couldn't make herself get there any faster. When she saw Faith go down, she frantically called out to her. Her scream seemed to last forever as she reached out toward the fallen slayer.

It was then that Buffy awoke, gasping in fright, clutching at her chest as her heart threatened to pound its way out.

"It's just a dream, it's just a dream..." she panted. "She didn't die, she didn't die..."

She let out a long, controlled breath and plopped back against the pillows.

"I got there in time, and she's okay."

Despite the truth of her own words, Buffy didn't appear to be comforted by them.

**Cut To:**

**Faith's Motel Room - Same Time**

After leaving the Summers home hours earlier, Faith had gone shopping and then gotten a room at the motel; unfortunately, she had ended up with the same exact room she'd lived in before. After fighting off a swarm of bad memories, she had left her bags unpacked and crawled into bed for a much needed nap.

She had slept fairly well for the first few hours, but the last had been troublesome. She had tossed and turned before finally jolting awake.

As she rapidly sucked in air, her gaze darted across the ceiling. She tried to recall what she'd been dreaming, but no details emerged from her sleep muddled brain.

"Dammit, I _hate_ waking up like that," she complained before sitting up in bed and swinging her legs over the side of the mattress.

With those simple movements, all of the aches and pains from the previous night's battle introduced themselves again. Faith groaned and cursed, then rose to her feet. After rotating her neck to work out the kinks, she put her hands on her hips and bent her upper body backwards until she heard a satisfying pop from her spine.

"That's better," she said with a smile.

When she tried to stretch her arms over her head, though, she hissed in pain and drew her arms back, cradling them against her body.

"Shit! Fuckin' ribs _still_hurt. Why're they always the last damn thing to heal?"

Her stomach answered with long, hungry growl.

Faith rolled her eyes and chuckled before heading over to her laundry sack to begin unpacking her belongings.

The first few things she pulled out were bathroom items. She gathered them up and set them out on the small shelf above the sink. After brushing her hair and her teeth, she went back to unpacking. Within a few minutes, she had the rest of her things put away except for the clothes she meant to change into.

She stripped off the clothes she had donned the night before at the apartment and tossed them in the laundry sack along with the garbage bag containing her own 'demon gunked' clothes. She put on her newly-purchased secondhand jeans and t-shirt, then sat down to put on her boots. When she was done, she donned the denim jacket she had borrowed from the apartment. She checked the jacket pockets, making sure that her cigarettes, lighter, wallet, and photos were still there. Then she turned to the full-length mirror to check out her appearance.

The clothes, she liked. The still battered face, not so much. For a moment, she considered at least adding some lipstick but then decided against it.

"Ah, screw it," she told her reflection. "Nothing's gonna help you now but some slayer healing."

She pulled her wallet from her jacket and did a quick count of her remaining cash. She did the mental math of estimating how much she'd need over the next few days and whether or not she'd have enough to last until her watcher got to town.

"Ah, I can make it," she told herself, rejecting the idea of calling Dr. Raine to ask for more. "She's got enough to worry about. 'Sides, I've gotten by on less."

She stuck her wallet into the back pocket of her jeans and then lit up a cigarette for a quick smoke. Grabbing her keys and her laundry sack, she headed out the door.

**Cut To:**

**Furniture Store - Moments Later**

Faith pulled her motorcycle into a parking space near the furniture store. She locked her bike and headed for the busted front door. When she peeked inside, she saw a man using a push broom to sweep up the mounds of glass shards that covered the tile floor. When he looked up and met her eyes, she gave him a wave and stepped right through the metal frame of the busted glass door.

"We're not open," he said as she approached him.

"I figured. I'm not shoppin' anyway," she said. "I, uh, I'm just wondering if you happened to know who owns that apartment in the back."

The man's brow furrowed in potential suspicion. "I do. Why?"

"Well, last night when those bikers came through town-"

"Did they hurt you?" the man suddenly asked, his caution now turned to concern. He pointed to the bruises on her face. "Is that how you...?"

She ducked her head for a moment and then said, "Yeah, but I got away. Me and this other girl hid out in the apartment. That's why I'm askin' about it. I think we broke the lock gettin' in, and I just wanted to let you know."

When the man didn't reply right away, Faith went on.

"We didn't take anything, other than some clothes, which I'll bring back. A-A-And I can pay for the lock..."

When she started pulling her wallet from her pocket, the man stepped forward and put a hand on her arm to stop her.

"Don't worry about it," he told her kindly. "I'll take care of it. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Thanks," Faith said, smiling back at him. After heading back to the front door, she gave him another wave and said, "Good luck with the clean-up."

He said thanks and waved back, then returned to his sweeping. She stepped through the door frame and walked to her bike.

When she settled into the seat, her stomach let out another loud growl. She laughed and patted her belly.

"Time to tame the savage beast," she joked. "And after that, the laundromat."

She laughed at her unintentional rhyme as she started her motorcycle. Then she pulled out of the parking space and drove toward Happy Burger.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Dining Room - Same Time**

While Faith was picking up massive quantities of junk food, Buffy was finishing up a very awkward lunch with Willow, Tara, and Dawn. Buffy sat at the end of the table closest to the front door, as she had before. This time she was flanked by Tara and Dawn with Willow on the other side of Tara.

Buffy could tell that something had happened during her short nap. The others were quiet and tense, and the few words the three had exchanged were distant and forced. They had all tried to engage Buffy, though-hoping not only to pull her from her funk but also to divert attention from their own issues, whatever they were.

Buffy had done her best to play along. She had dutifully answered their questions and contributed a comment from time to time, but not with the exuberance she knew they expected from her. During the many moments of plate-staring silence, she had glanced back at the front door with longing. When she could stand the wait no longer, she finally asked the question that had been on her mind throughout the meal.

"Did Faith come by while I was sleeping? O-O-Or call...or something?"

"No, but I'm sure she will soon," Tara replied reassuringly.

Willow, however, snorted derisively. "She's probably halfway to Mexico by now..."

When alarm instantly flashed on the slayer's face, Tara shot her girlfriend a disgusted look and then immediately turned to Buffy. She reached out and touched her arm, "She's _not_...You _know_ that."

Tara's words seemed to calm Buffy, and within a few seconds, the slayer gave a simple nod in reply. Tara then turned back to Willow.

She stood up, shoved her hand out, and asked impatiently, "Are you finished with that?" Without waiting for an answer, she took Willow's plate and her own and left the table for the kitchen.

"I guess I am," Willow said sarcastically before slumping back in her chair and crossing her arms.

Unsettled by the tension, Buffy just dropped her gaze to the table.

Dawn had watched her sister during this last exchange. She herself had been ready to echo Willow's comment about Faith, but Buffy's reaction had really puzzled Dawn. Normally, Buffy would have been the first one on the Faith-bashing bandwagon. She'd certainly had nothing but grumbling to say about the dark slayer when she'd returned from L.A. after Faith had turned herself in to police. But now Buffy seemed obsessed with Faith. And not in a 'keep your eye on the dangerous ex-murderer' kind of way.

And if that wasn't enough, Buffy just seemed so...fragile. It wasn't something Dawn was used to seeing. Buffy had always been the strong one-the one who held herself together no matter what. But now...

Dawn shook herself out of her reverie when she saw Buffy rise from her chair, apparently intending to take her plate into the kitchen, where Tara could be heard filling the sink.

"I'll get it, Buffy," Dawn said, intercepting the delivery.

"Thanks," the blonde replied, giving her sister a small smile before returning to her seat.

As Tara and Dawn washed and dried the dishes, Buffy and Willow sat at the dining room table without saying a word. The minutes dragged on like hours before Tara and Dawn returned from the kitchen.

Refusing to make eye contact with Willow, Tara announced to the group, "I've got some work to do on campus this afternoon, so I'll see you guys later, okay?" At that, she abruptly left.

Willow's mouth fell open in disbelief as she watched her girlfriend leave without so much as a goodbye. When she heard the front door slam, she let out a huff and went to retrieve her laptop from the buffet.

Once again, Buffy just hung her head and stared at the surface of the table.

Dawn quickly put on a bright smile. "Hey, why don't we bring up some of your boxes from the basement? You know, get your new room all set up and decorated?"

Buffy looked up and met her sister's eyes but said nothing.

"O-O-Or we can put you back in your old room i-i-if that would make you feel better..." Dawn offered.

Buffy finally blinked and said, "No, that's okay. I don't wanna cause any trouble. The guest room is fine."

When Buffy got to her feet and started for the kitchen, where the door to the basement was located, Dawn followed after her, a concerned look on her face.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Laundromat - A Short Time Later**

As Buffy and Dawn were unpacking boxes in the guest room, Faith was working on getting her clothes clean. She had washed and dried everything except her 'demon-gunked' clothes, which were on their fourth wash. When she heard the washer end its cycle, she went over and lifted the lid. A somewhat muted stench rose from the machine.

"Dammit," Faith said as she pulled her jeans from the washer and gave them a hesitant sniff. She immediately drew back. Despite massive amounts of Gain detergent, there would be no salvaging these clothes.

She let out a sigh and draped the jeans over the washer. She walked over to the corner, retrieved the large garbage can, and dragged it to the washer. She dumped the jeans into the can and then added the rest of the clothes to it. The last item she pulled from the washer was her leather jacket.

She looked at it forlornly. She had known that she shouldn't wash it, but since it had been splattered with demon blood and guts, she hadn't had much choice. It didn't matter anyway, not now; the jacket was ruined, beyond hope.

"Man, I just got it, too," she complained.

With another sigh, she reluctantly dropped the jacket into the garbage can.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Guest Room - Same Time**

Meanwhile, Dawn and Buffy were well into the unpacking. At the moment, they were working near the chest of drawers that faced the side of the bed, sorting through several boxes of t-shirts. Much to Dawn's dismay and despite her best conversational efforts, Buffy had been as quiet and withdrawn during the unpacking as she had been during lunch. Dawn had nearly given up hope when her eyes settled on something that might stir a reaction.

"Hey, remember this one?" she said brightly as she held up a Minnie Mouse t-shirt that read, "Minnie loves me."

Buffy stared at the shirt blankly as the appropriate memories associated with it clicked into her mind. It had been the summer before her sophomore year in L.A. Her parents had just separated, and the outing had been her mother's way of trying to distract her daughters from the marriage's inevitable disintegration. For the most part, the plan had worked, and the three of them had had a really good time.

Despite the relative happiness of her memories, Buffy found that she had no corresponding emotions to accompany them. She knew how the emotions _should_ feel, but she didn't seem to actually _feel_ them-at least not with any intensity.

She frowned as she thought, _What's__wrong__with__me?_

Dawn interpreted Buffy's stare and frown as a memory recollection issue, so she tried to prompt her. "Remember? Mom got it for you at Disneyland...you know...after your freshman year at Hemery? We had so much fun! She got me one just like it, but I don't think I could fit into mine now. Major growth spurt and all. But you could. You wanna try it on?"

Not knowing what else to do, Buffy just numbly agreed to her sister's suggestion. "Sure," she told her, forcing herself to flash a quick smile.

Buffy took the t-shirt from her sister's hands, walked to the dresser that faced the end of the bed, and lay the t-shirt on the pile of knickknacks heaped upon the dresser. She pulled off the shirt she had borrowed from the apartment owner the night before and laid it on the dresser as well. Then she started to pull on the Minnie Mouse t-shirt.

"Buffy! Oh my god!"

Startled by her sister's sudden exclamation, Buffy whipped around, pressing the t-shirt against her bare chest. "What? You scared me."

Dawn slowly walked over, grasped Buffy's shoulders, and turned her sister around so that she was facing the dresser once again.

"Your back..." Dawn said without elaborating.

"What?" Buffy asked, trying to peer over her own shoulder to see what Dawn was looking at. "What is it?"

Dawn grasped her sister's shoulders once more and turned her so that her back was facing the dresser and its mirror. She gave Buffy a handheld mirror. Buffy held it up and looked in shock at the jagged scars that went down her shoulder blades.

Dawn stepped behind Buffy so that she too could look at the scars. "Where did these come from?" she asked as she reached out to gently touch them.

The second Dawn's fingertips touched the scars, Buffy's body jumped in reaction as her mind sent her hurtling into a terrifying flashback of falling and screaming.

"I'm sorry!" Dawn said, instantly jerking her hand away and stepping back. "D-D-Did I hurt you? Buffy?" When her sister didn't answer, she moved closer again. "Buffy?"

Buffy broke out of her flashback, but she was shaking and panting for air. "I'm okay," she told Dawn without looking at her. "I'm okay," she repeated as she set down the handheld mirror, pulled on the Minnie t-shirt, and walked a few feet away.

Dawn wanted to follow her, to comfort her somehow, but she didn't dare touch her now. She tangled her fingers together and stayed put. "Did you...Did you get those when you fell? When you jumped from Glory's tower?"

"I-I-I don't know," Buffy replied, a confused look on her face. "I don't really remember landing. I remember jumping and falling, but..."

For an excruciatingly long moment, the two sisters neither moved nor spoke. When the painful silence became unbearable, Buffy walked past Dawn to the dresser and picked up the borrowed shirt she had just taken off.

"I should...go put this in the laundry basket," she said lamely before rushing away from Dawn.

All Dawn could do was sadly watch her sister go.

**Fade Out.**

**Fade In:**

**Faith's Motel Room - Early Evening**

Faith's bed was cluttered with crumpled wrappers and sacks from Happy Burger, a couple of trashy gossip magazines, and an open carton of Lucky Strikes. Faith was already well into her first fresh pack of cigarettes, as evidenced by the full ashtray sitting on the nightstand.

At the moment, she had a newly lit cigarette pinched between her lips as she used both hands to rough up the uncooperative television set.

"Come on, you worthless piece o' shit, it's been two and half years since I had TV!"

Bang! Smack!

"First the stupid coma..."

Bang! Smack!

"...then prison..."

Bang! Smack! Bang, bang, bang!

"Arggggghhh!"

She slammed her palm against the power button and shut the thing off, finally giving up. She plopped onto the end of the bed, took a deep drag off her cigarette, then slowly let it out. Glancing around the room, she saw nothing capable of relieving her boredom or distracting her mind from thoughts of Buffy. Then her gaze fell on the telephone.

"Guess I could check in with the Doc."

She moved to the head of the bed, got out her calling card, and punched the requisite numbers into the phone. After a short set of rings, she heard Dr. Raine pick up.

"Hey, Doc, how goes the packin'?"

"Faith, hello," the watcher answered amiably. "Well...it _goes_, albeit rather slowly. I really shouldn't be such a packrat. But I'll be down to Sunnydale just as soon as I can, I promise."

"No rush. I got things under control," Faith said, turning her face well away from the phone each time she took a puff off her cigarette and blew it out. "Haven't seen any dangerous activity today, but I'm heading out for night patrol in a little bit. If there's any badness a-brewin', that's when I'll see it."

"Did you get some rest today?" Dr. Raine needled.

"Yeah, I got a few hours in. Right after I checked in with the Scoobs."

"Wonderful! Sleep allows your slayer healing to work its magic. And the way you're smoking, you're going to need all the healing you can get."

Faith's mouth dropped open, and she glanced at the cigarette in her hand.

_How did she-?_

She hurriedly crushed out the cigarette in the ashtray.

"Hey, I told you I'd quit by the time you got here."

"See that you do," Dr. Raine ordered. "And be careful tonight. Don't take any foolish risks. I know you're excited to be back to slaying, but now's not the time for any unnecessary heroics. All right?"

"Yessss ma'aaaam," Faith replied, dragging out the words in the oral equivalent of an eye roll.

After making her goodbyes and hanging up the phone, Faith was still smiling. She liked her watcher. She liked her a lot. And, most importantly, she trusted her. She didn't know how the woman had managed to earn her trust so quickly, but she had. Faith hoped that Buffy would like her, too, and come to trust her.

When Faith's mind returned to the topic of Buffy, the smile on her face faded away. She desperately wanted to see the blonde again, but she couldn't help remembering how it had felt that morning when the impenetrable circle of Scoobies (impenetrable to her at any rate) had closed ranks around Buffy and shut her out.

_Except__for__Tara_, she reminded herself. _Least__she__tried__to__make__me__feel__welcome._

_Doesn't__matter,_she thought, shaking her head. _Once__B__gets__back__in__the__family-and-friends__swing,__she__ain't__gonna__need__me.__Or__want__me.__Plus,__once__the__Doc__gets__here-_

"Shit!" Faith exclaimed as she jumped to her feet. "I forgot to tell 'em that I hadn't said anything to Dr. Raine about Buffy being back." Mentally she replayed the conversation she'd just had with her watcher. "Don't think she knew anything. She woulda said something for sure if she knew Buffy was back. I better get over there and tell 'em to keep a lid on things till Buffy's not so freaked out."

Faith got ready for patrol as quickly as she could and sped away on her bike.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Dining Room - Same Time**

After another round of box toting, Dawn and Buffy came downstairs and into the kitchen, on their way to the basement. Buffy stopped at the doorway to the dining room where Willow sat at the table typing on her laptop.

"Are you coming?" Dawn asked, her hand on the basement door. "We have to move some of that old furniture to get to the last batch."

"Yeah, give me a sec," Buffy told her. "I'll be right down."

After a nod, Dawn headed down into the basement. Buffy slipped into the dining room and walked over to where Willow was working. When the redhead didn't seem to notice her, Buffy spoke up.

"Hey, um, Will?"

Willow looked up and smiled. "Hey, Buffy."

"I know you're busy and everything," Buffy said, wringing her hands nervously, "but I'm really worried about Faith."

Willow's smile fell away. She let out a sigh that was almost a growl and turned back to her typing. "I'm sure she's fine," the redhead recited dutifully. "She's a slayer."

"But she's still injured," Buffy insisted. "What if something happened to her?"

Willow's tone became bitterly sarcastic as she pounded the keys on her computer. "Well, then, she _should_ have told us where she was going and when she'd be back." She stopped typing and shook her head in disgust. "I swear, _nothing_ has changed with her."

Buffy was momentarily stunned. "I-I-It _has_ changed," she finally said. "_She's_ changed."

Willow growled for real this time and got to her feet to talk some sense into her best friend. "Buffy, I know she took care of you last night, and that's fresh on your mind, but this is _Faith_ we're talking about here. There's only one thing Faith cares about, and that's _herself_. Screw what anybody else wants or needs."

Buffy's mind was in turmoil. Her own memories of Faith certainly supported Willow's notion, but she couldn't reconcile those past events with Faith's actions in the last eighteen hours. As she struggled to comprehend it all, she only faintly noticed the sound of the front door opening. As soon as she heard Tara's voice and saw her walk into the dining room, though, she rushed to her side.

"Tara! D-D-Did you see Faith anywhere? You know, while you were out?"

"No, I'm sorry, sweetie. I didn't," she said sympathetically.

Buffy looked crushed by the news and dropped her gaze to her hands. After a long moment, she got her emotions under control and looked back up at Tara.

"If you hear from her," she said with forced evenness, "please let me know. I'll be downstairs with Dawn." Without another word, Buffy turned and headed back into the kitchen.

Tara waited until she heard the basement door open and close. Then she turned toward Willow and demanded, "What did you say to her?"

"Nothing! It's not my fault Faith's pulling one of her trademarked disappearing acts."

"Well, maybe if you guys had been more welcoming, she wouldn't be making herself scarce."

"_Welcoming_? I'm supposed to '_welcome_' the person who held a knife to my throat, who tried to kill my best friends?"

"She's not that person anymore. She's changed."

Willow gave a loud scoff. "You don't know her like the rest of us do. You weren't there."

"You don't know her at _all_!" Tara shot back. "You only know what you knew. You _used_ to know her, and that's all you want to see." Then she stomped into the kitchen.

Willow threw her hands up in the air. _I__do__not__get__this!__Am__I__the__only__one__who__sees__the__truth__here?_

As before, a shadowy figure, invisible to the human eye, moved into place behind Willow and began whispering into her ear. After listening for a while, Willow turned and glared in the direction of the front door as if imagining Faith's eventual return.

"Don't worry," she said under her breath. "I'm not going to let her hurt any of us, especially not Buffy."

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Living Room - Moments Later **

While Buffy and Dawn were still arranging boxes in the basement and Tara was still fuming in the kitchen, Willow was pacing the floor in the living room near the front door. Her mind kept coming back to how devastated Buffy had looked earlier and how it was totally Faith's fault.

"I don't know what the Council was thinking," Willow complained aloud. "Faith's already pulling the same crap she did before, and it's all going to end in disaster."

Just then Willow heard a motorcycle pull up front. Her expression scrunched into an angry scowl as she went to the front door and placed her hand on the knob. As soon as she heard Faith's boots on the porch, she yanked the door open, startling the slayer.

"Where the _hell_ have you been?" Willow barked before stepping aside to allow Faith to enter. She slammed the door and went on. "Buffy has been worried sick!"

Although Faith was sorry to learn that she had worried Buffy, Willow's bossy attitude was seriously pissing the slayer off.

"Hey, Red, news flash-you ain't my watcher," Faith angrily retorted. "I don't have to check in with you."

"Oh yeah? None of us knew where you were, we didn't have any way of contacting you! Did you even think about that?"

Deciding that the coal raking wasn't exactly undeserved, Faith held up her hands and backed away. "Okay, fine. I shoulda called."

Willow didn't seem to notice Faith's concession. She just kept going off on the slayer. "We are _not_ going back to the way things were, Faith! No more Lone Wolf Lehane showing up whenever she damn well pleases!"

"She gets it, Will," Tara interjected, having been drawn there by the raised voices. "You don't have to beat her over the head with it." She stepped between Willow and Faith and deliberately changed the subject. "Did you see Buffybot last night? She never came home, and we're worried about her."

"Well, you can stop worrying about her," Faith answered. "I'm pretty sure the Hellions ripped her into pieces. They were braggin' about it, anyway."

Willow stepped from behind Tara and shot an accusing glare at Faith. "You don't have to look so happy about it," she said.

"I'm not!" Faith forced herself to look away and calm down. When she had done so, she ignored Willow and turned back to Tara. "Look, I just came by to give you guys a heads up," she said, lowering her voice in case Buffy was within earshot. "I haven't told Dr. Raine about Buffy bein' back yet."

"Lying to your watcher already," Willow commented. "You're off to a good start."

"Will," Tara growled in annoyance.

"What?" Willow asked. "She's just trying to postpone being sent back to prison."

"This ain't about me and prison," Faith countered. "It's about _Buffy_. She's not ready to start slayin' again. Plus, once the Council knows she's back, they're probably gonna red-eye a team of investigators over here to pick, prod, and probe, and Buffy's not up for that. I mean, I know she quit the Council and everything, but I don't think they're gonna sit tight and twiddle their thumbs when they've got a resurrected slayer walking around."

Tara nodded in understanding and turned to Willow. "She's right. We need to keep this secret...at least until Dr. Raine arrives."

As much as it peeved her, Willow reluctantly had to agree with Faith's argument. "Fine," she grumbled.

Just then, Dawn and Buffy came from the kitchen carrying boxes that they had brought up from the basement. When Buffy saw Faith, she instantly abandoned her box and rushed over. "Faith! Are you okay?" she said as she pulled the slayer into a massive hug. "I was so worried."

Three sets of observing eyes widened in shock. Two of the three-Dawn's and Willow's-quickly narrowed into intense displeasure. Tara's brightened, though, when she saw both Buffy and Faith clearly enjoying the embrace.

Although initially surprised by Buffy's hug, Faith didn't waste time in returning it. For just a moment, she shut her eyes, wrapped her arms around the blonde, and pulled her close. When Faith opened her eyes, though, she saw Willow and Dawn giving her looks that could kill, so she cleared her throat and awkwardly pulled out of the hug. She took a step back and shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. Buffy frowned slightly at the separation.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Faith said in answer to Buffy's question. "Just went out to take care of some things. Had to go buy some clothes since my bag got torched with the bus. I also went ahead and got a room at the motel. I gotta say, though…it hasn't improved with age."

"Motel?" Buffy said in a mortified voice. "Y-Y-You're not going to stay here?"

Faith gave a scoffing laugh as her gaze darted to Willow and Dawn briefly. "Don't think that's a good idea."

"She's right," Dawn said, setting her box on the floor and then crossing her arms tightly. "We don't have anywhere to put her."

"There's just not enough room," Willow agreed.

"She could stay with me," Buffy suggested before looking at Faith expectantly.

Buffy's statement slapped Faith and the others into slack-jawed silence.

After a few seconds, Faith shook her head and said, "Thanks, but I think I better stay where I'm at."

Buffy seemed terribly disappointed, but Faith moved on to another topic.

"Look, I'm heading out for patrol," she said. "I just wanted to _check__in_." She gave Willow a pointed stare during those last two words. "I need to get out there and make sure the rest o' that biker gang's really gone."

"Patrol? By yourself?" Buffy asked worriedly.

"Yes, by myself," Faith answered in a light voice. "I'm a big girl now, remember?"

"But...you're still hurt from last night, and-and...those bikers, they could be waiting for you...I-I-I should go with you..."

"Uhn-uhn, no way," Faith replied. "As for me, slayer healing's got me good to go, but you...you're not ready."

"It's too soon," Willow said. "Give yourself some time." Tara and Dawn nodded in agreement.

"I handled myself just fine last night," Buffy objected.

"I know," Faith admitted. "But...it hurt you..." She tapped two fingers on Buffy's chest over her heart. "In here. Didn't it?"

Buffy teared up and looked away, nodding, knowing Faith was telling the truth. When she turned back, she asked, "Will you stop back by after patrol and let me know you're okay?"

"It'll be late..." Faith pointed out.

"I don't care," Buffy said. Her eyes found the extra key to the house that always hung by the front door. She went over and removed it from the hook and then gave it to Faith.

"We have phones, you know..." Dawn grumbled, but Faith and Buffy didn't seem to notice.

"Okay, sure." Faith tucked the key into her jeans pocket. "I'll leave my bike here then."

Once again, Buffy pulled Faith into a tight hug. "Please be careful," she told her.

"I will," Faith promised before pulling out of the hug.

Buffy gave Faith a final, meaningful stare, then picked up her box and hurried upstairs with it.

When Faith turned back to the others, she found Willow and Dawn glaring at her again.

"What the _hell_ is going on?" Willow demanded.

"_What_ did you _do_ to my sister?" Dawn exclaimed.

"Guys..." Tara said, trying to calm the situation.

Faith feigned a shrug. "What? I didn't do anything to her."

"Then why is she acting like that?" Dawn asked.

"Like what?" Faith said.

"Don't you _dare_ pretend like you don't know," Willow accused.

"Okay, fine," Faith said, caving under the pressure. "Buffy's a little…_attached_ to me right now. It's probably because I was the one who found her. Or maybe it's a slayer thing. I don't know! But I didn't _make_ it happen."

"Well, find a way to make it _un_-happen," Willow ordered. "Last thing Buffy needs is a fatal attraction to _you_!"

"Yeah!" Dawn echoed.

"Willow! Dawn!" Tara chided.

"Don't worry," Faith shot back at her two attackers. "I'm sure it'll wear off-once she remembers that she _hates_ me like the rest of you do."

At that, Faith stomped away, slamming the door on her way out.

As soon as the front door had shut, Tara turned on Willow and Dawn. "You are being too hard on her! She's really trying here."

"Really trying to do what?" Dawn asked with suspicion. "That's the real question."

"Well, it's not to hurt Buffy," Tara insisted. "She cares about her."

"She 'cares about her' _only_ because it serves her own interests," Willow said before pointing up the stairs where Buffy had gone. "She just _using_ Buffy as her stay-out-of-jail-free card. If you'd get your head out of your idealistic ass long enough, you'd see that."

As both Tara and Dawn stood gaping at Willow's hurtful words, the redhead turned away from them and strode back into the dining room. When Dawn turned to Tara, she saw a face creased in pain, eyes wet with tears. Dawn started to reach out to her, but Tara just ducked her head and started up the stairs. Dawn stared off for a few seconds then shook her head in bewilderment.

"What the hell is going on around here?" she muttered to herself.

**Fade Out.**

**Fade In:**

**Sunnydale Cemetery - Hours Later**

Faith's earlier anger had carried her only as far as the sidewalk outside the Summers home. By the time she had reached her bike, the energy of that emotion had drained away, leaving fear and sadness in its place.

If the others hated her, fine. She could live with that. But if Buffy hated her...

She hadn't been able to bear the thought of that. She'd let out a heavy sigh, grabbed her weapons from her bike's saddlebag, and walked away, determined to distract herself with slaying.

Unfortunately for Faith, Sunnydale's resident evils were being completely uncooperative in the distraction department. Early in the evening, she'd dusted one fledgling vamp in Memorial Park and hadn't seen a single demon since.

Frustrated and bored, she stopped for her sixth cigarette of the night. She growled when she realized she was down to five left in the pack.

"Shit, better cut back," she said as she lit the one she'd pulled from the pack. "I'm going through these like candy."

She took a deep drag and blew it out, then plopped onto a low headstone.

"Just nervous, I guess," she said, her solitude making her unconcerned about talking to herself aloud. "God knows I got a lot to be nervous about. Out of prison, on a short chain with the Council. Can't screw that up. Plus, don't wanna disappoint the Doc."

Faith's thoughts immediately went to Buffy. "Don't wanna disappoint B either. I feel like I've got a second chance here, and I don't wanna blow it."

Faith's hopeful musings were cut off when her inner critic barged in.

_Second__chance?_it needled.

"Okay, fine, seventh chance, thirteenth chance, whatever. I still don't wanna blow it."

_Blow it? It's already blown. Been blown since you tried to kill Angel and her friends and her mom. She's never going to forget that. Or forgive it. You're a fool to think otherwise._

"I know she hasn't forgotten it," Faith countered as she stood to her feet. "She told me herself. But she still wants to see me. Hell, she hugged me tonight, right in front of everybody." She tossed her cigarette to the ground and crushed it under her boot.

_And how long do you think that's going to last? You said it yourself-she's eventually going to remember how she really feels about you. So why bother? Why let yourself hope for something that is never going to happen?_

Faith made an aggravated sound and ran her hands through her hair. When she stopped, her shoulders were slumped, and her eyes were full of sorrow. She knew that her inner voice was right, that she didn't stand a chance with Buffy, that it was just plain stupid to believe that Buffy could ever have feelings for her, given what had happened in the past. She knew all of that. With her brain at least. Her heart, though, was in complete denial, just merrily skipping toward disaster.

"Leave it to me to have a 'stupid' heart," Faith groaned before setting off to sweep the cemetery once again.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Living Room - Same Time**

Buffy was on the couch with Dawn. A wacky comedy was showing on the television courtesy of the VCR. Dawn's eyes were fixed on the screen, but Buffy's weren't.

Dawn had been trying all night to engage her sister somehow-with cards, games, picture albums-all to little effect. For the most part, Buffy had remained distant and distracted.

At a certain point in the movie, Dawn giggled and pointed at the screen. "The really funny part's coming up," she said in anticipation. When Buffy didn't respond, she turned and saw Buffy once again staring at the front door.

Dawn sighed sadly, picked up the remote, and turned off the VCR.

Buffy noticed the lack of sound and turned back to her sister. "I-I-Is it over?" she asked, hoping she hadn't zoned out for the entire movie.

"No, but I'm tired," Dawn replied, "and you're not watching anyway."

Realizing she was busted, Buffy hung her head. "Sorry."

"It's late anyway. Time for bed." Dawn stood up and headed for the stairs. She stopped and turned back when she reached the first step. "Are you coming?"

Buffy couldn't help glancing at the front door. "Um, no, I..."

Dawn shook her head and turned back around. "Stupid question..." she grumbled as she trudged up the stairs.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Upstairs - Seconds Later**

When Dawn reached the top of the stairs, she met Willow coming out of the master bedroom. Willow was in her pajamas but didn't look like she'd been able to sleep.

"Where's Buffy?" Willow asked as she gestured at Buffy's open and empty room.

"Where do you think?" Dawn answered bitterly. "Camped out in the living room, staring at the front door, waiting for Faith to check in from patrol."

Dawn made a final harrumph, went into her room, and shut the door.

Willow turned toward the stairs, her eyes darkening in rage. Behind her, the still unseen shadow continued whispering in her ear.

**Cut To:**

**Heaven - Palace of the Powers-That-Be - Same Time**

In a secluded observation room, Laran, the PTB who had applauded Buffy during her confrontation within the palace, peered into large bowl upon a stone table. The bowl was filled with a silvery liquid. Upon the liquid's smooth surface, an image could be seen.

It was the very encounter that had just occurred in the upstairs hallway of the Summers home.

In the silvery image, Willow could be seen listening to the shadowy figure behind her. Laran lightly touched the surface of the liquid, and the shadowy figure's true image appeared.

The creature was tall and thin but muscular. Its skin was leathery and dark, nearly black; it almost looked charred. Bat-like wings protruded from its back. Though folded up, they quivered as if eager to fly.

Laran clenched his jaw, and his lips curled into a snarl. "Fury..." he growled in disgust.

He roared and swept the bowl from the table with his forearm, sending it crashing to the floor. He turned from the table, a look of desperation in his eyes.

"Joyce and Osiris were right. Our enemies know something. Something about Buffy and Faith. Something critical. And we'd better find out what it is."

Laran's brow furrowed for a moment as he considered his next step.

"In the meantime, somebody's gotta stall, buy me some time to convince the other Powers..."

He thought a moment more.

"Well, Joyce and Osiris started this...they might as well jump back into the fray."

**Cut To:**

**Purgatory - The Timeout Room - Moments Later**

For just a precious moment, Joyce and Ozzie had managed to evade the room's annoying inhabitants. The two had slipped away to the corner of the hellacious waiting room, where they were now whispering conspiratorially.

"We _have_ to find a way out of here!" Joyce said. "I need to check on Buffy and Faith, not to mention Dawn. By now, there's no telling what the other side may have done!"

"There's no way out," Ozzie insisted. "We're stuck here until the Powers-That-Be decide to let us out."

"But there must be! We-"

"Pssst!"

Joyce stopped when she heard the urgently whispered interruptive. She and Ozzie looked around for the source.

"Over here."

They followed the voice to one of the many television screens mounted on the walls. Instead of the usual nerve-racking infomercial, they saw Laran's image on the monitor.

"Laran?" Ozzie asked in shock before quickly bowing and reverting to "my lord."

Laran clucked his tongue and waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Stop that! We don't have time for all that nonsense."

"Are you going to get us out of here?" Joyce asked.

"Yes, but not right now." When he saw Joyce readying her objection, he cut her off. "It's going to take time for me to set it up. But be ready. When you see your chance, go for it. The rest is up to you."

"How are the girls?" Joyce asked.

"They're okay. For now. But they won't be for long. Our foes have already sent a Fury, and things are deteriorating rapidly."

"Well then why don't you send one of your Warriors?" Ozzie demanded before once again backing into submission by ducking his head.

"Because I'm not permitted to interfere!" Laran replied. "Not yet at least."

"And breaking us out isn't interfering?" Joyce inquired.

"Technically, no, since your escape won't be tracked to me."

"You're really covering your ass, aren't you?" Joyce noted.

Laran glared at Joyce then said, "Going now." Then he blipped away.

"Wait!"

Laran blipped back on the screen.

"Is there any way we can watch what's going on?" Joyce asked.

Laran looked away and then back. "Best I can do is give you a feed on Dawn since you're her Guardian anyway." He pinned Joyce and Ozzie with a pointed stare. "Be ready. You'll have to fight your way out. As soon as you're clear, get down there and stop that Fury. I'll work on getting the other Powers on board."

Laran blipped away again, but instead of the screen returning to an infomercial, it displayed a close-up of Dawn on her bed in her room.

Dawn was lying on her side. She had a pillow pressed against her chest, a tissue in one hand and a small framed picture of her mother in the other. She sniffled and dabbed at the tears leaking from her eyes.

"I miss you, Mom. So much," she told the photo. "I thought it would get better with Buffy back, but now I feel even more alone. She doesn't want to have anything to do with me. It's like...being here, being alive again, being with me, is the most unbearable thing ever."

Joyce touched the screen, wishing she could be with her younger daughter to comfort her. "Oh, honey...it's not her fault. I told her it was going to hurt to go back. She just didn't realize how much."

**Fade Out.**

**Fade In:**

**Summers Home - Living Room – Hours Later**

Buffy sat on the edge of the couch, sobbing. She was hunched over, bent at the waist, her arms wrapped around herself. She'd been crying on and off for hours, ever since Dawn had gone upstairs.

At first, she'd cried over the hurt she knew she was causing her sister. Dawn had been trying so desperately to reconnect with her, and she had just ignored her, had just withdrawn into some unreachable place.

Then she'd cried over her mother's death. When Joyce had died earlier that year, Buffy hadn't had time for mourning. She'd been too busy protecting Dawn and saving the world to allow herself the luxury of grieving. Now, back in her mother's house, on the very couch where her mother had died, Buffy had been overcome by the reality of her mother's absence.

And behind all that was an even greater sense of loss. One that seemed to have no explanation, no reason for being, and yet, there it was, deep within her, a hole torn in the very fabric of her soul, a void that nothing seemed to fill.

No, not nothing exactly. There was one thing-one person rather-that seemed to offer some respite from this 'soul pain' she was feeling.

Faith.

Just by thinking of the dark slayer, Buffy felt a portion of her anguish slip away. Enough to ease her crying at least. She sat up and let out a long breath. Then she cast a quick glance at the front door and sent out a mental request to Faith.

_Please come home soon._

As Buffy got to her feet and headed for the downstairs bathroom, her mind made no comment on the wording of her plea. It didn't question why she had said "please come _home_" instead of "please come _back_." It was almost as if a part of her mind somehow remembered the real reason she had left heaven and returned to earth. It was almost as if that part of her somehow knew what was still hidden in her heart...

...the fact that Faith's home was indeed with Buffy herself.

Not because Faith eased Buffy's pain, but because they loved each other and belonged together, now and forever.

Given time, the two would inevitably find one another. Unfortunately, as Laran had discovered, time was not on their side.

_**TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 12...**_


	12. Chapter 12

**FOLLOW YOUR HEART**

**DragonWriter17**

**PART 12**

**Fade In:**

**Summers Home - Living Room - Later That Night**

A key could be heard turning in the lock, and the front door slowly opened. Faith slipped inside and quietly eased the door shut. When she turned around, she scanned the room and found it empty. She stepped into the dining room and glanced through it to the kitchen. Both rooms were dark.

When she re-entered the living room, she stood at the foot of the stairs, debating whether or not to go upstairs looking for Buffy. She gave a rueful huff of a laugh as she imagined how the others would react if they found her peeking into Buffy's bedroom. "Yeah, that'd go over _real_ well. Better just leave a note."

Just then, Faith heard the downstairs bathroom door open. She watched as a red-eyed Buffy walked out, dabbing at her cheeks with some tissue. When Buffy saw Faith, her face lit up in relief. She rushed to the dark slayer and wrapped her up in a hug.

"Faith! I'm so glad you're here."

"What is it?" Faith asked as she returned the embrace. "What happened?"

Buffy rested her head on Faith's shoulder and tightened her arms a little more. "Nothing happened. _Else_, I mean. It's just so hard being back. And Mom's still gone..." Her voice cracked a bit as she tried to continue. "It _hurts_. It hurts so much..."

"I know it does, I know," Faith whispered, caressing Buffy's hair and rubbing her back. "It'll get better, though. It just takes time."

After a moment of crying, Buffy sniffled, pulled out of the hug, and took a few steps back. "Thank you. I don't know how I'd be getting through this if you weren't here."

"You'd be getting through it just fine," Faith assured her, "because Buffy Summers is a survivor." Then she teasingly added, "Well, except for those two times you died."

The jab got a chuckle out of Buffy. "Yeah, I'm really good at success except when I fail."

The two slayers shared a short laugh, but their smiles quickly faded. A heavy sadness hung in the air, and it took a long moment before Faith broke the silence.

"I'm, um, I'm sorry about your mom," she finally said, ducking her head and stuffing her hands into her jeans pockets. "Angel came and told me after it happened." She lifted her gaze. "Musta been really hard."

Buffy nodded sadly. "Hardest day of my life. Still is." Then she cleared her throat and deliberately changed the subject. "So...how did patrol go?"

Faith pulled her hands out and just hooked her thumbs over the top of her pockets. "Went fine. No problems. It was actually pretty quiet."

"After the hurt you put on the Hellions," Buffy said with a smile, "I'm sure word got around."

Faith snorted and shook her head. "Oh yeah, I put the hurt on 'em all right. They were hurtin' so bad you had to save my ass."

Buffy grew serious and took a step towards the dark slayer. "Faith, I only took out those last three that were attacking you. You did the rest. You single-handedly decimated that gang. You know that, right?"

Faith was touched by Buffy's praise-and a little embarrassed. She dropped her gaze to the floor and gave a shrug. "I shoulda quit while I was ahead, but..."

"But what?" Buffy prompted.

When Faith looked up, her jaw was clenched tightly, and her eyes burned with rage. "I wanted to make them pay for what they'd done. Every single one of 'em."

Buffy was surprised by the ferocity of Faith's reaction. "For attacking the town?" she asked.

"No. For desecrating your grave."

Buffy looked confused, so Faith explained.

"When I was chasing down one of the demons, I ended up at your grave. It looked like it had been dug up, and your coffin was empty. I thought they had taken your body. I didn't know that you'd been resurrected."

"Oh Faith..."

"So I rushed back into town and confronted the gang leader. He said he'd ripped you apart, said I'd find pieces of you all over the place. I guess he musta been talking about Buffybot, but I didn't know that. I just went berserk. I don't know how many of 'em I killed before it was just me and him."

"A dozen at least," Buffy guessed. "There were bodies all around you when I got there."

"I shoulda been smarter. He _wanted_ me to go through all his boys first. Soften me up. By the time I got to him, I was running on nothing but fumes. He almost killed me. I let him get too close, and he grabbed me by the neck, and I knew I was done for." She let her eyes drop to the floor again. "All I could think about was the fact that I had let you down. My first day on the job, and I couldn't even keep your body safe."

Buffy moved closer and placed her hand on Faith's arm. "None of that was your fault."

"Felt that way," Faith said as she shrugged out of Buffy's grasp. "Lucky for me, he made some offhand comment about you, and it was just enough to get me mad again. I fought back, got free, and then gutted the son of a bitch. I tried to bluff my way past the other demons, but that didn't work, and I just didn't have anything left in me. I guess that was when you got there, huh?"

Buffy nodded and then frowned. "They were beating you so badly. I killed the main one, and the other two let you go so that they could fight me." She glanced away, picturing the scene in her mind. "I finished them off and then ran to check on you, but you were so..._still_. You wouldn't wake up, you wouldn't move...you were gone, God, you were gone..." Reliving the memory made Buffy's tears return, and she lifted her hand to her mouth to stifle the impending sob.

Faith reached out to grasp Buffy's shoulders. "But I wasn't. You just _thought_ I was." She kept looking at Buffy until the other slayer's eyes met hers. "You got me out of there. You saved my life."

"I'm glad," Buffy said, her voice trembling. "I don't think I could've gone on if you'd died."

Faith's mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. It just couldn't accept what Buffy was saying. After nearly stabbing Faith to death, Buffy had gone on just fine without her. She'd moved on with her life as if her fellow slayer had never existed. Then, when Faith had awakened from her coma, Buffy had made it her mission to put the slayer away in prison, where she could be conveniently forgotten once again.

But now Buffy was completely different. She wanted Faith's presence, needed it, actually cared about Faith's well-being, seemed willing to put their past behind them. It was everything Faith could have hoped for, and it would be so easy for her to pull Buffy close and claim it all with a kiss.

She couldn't do it, though. Maybe it was guilt, maybe it was fear, but either way, Faith just released Buffy's arms and stepped back, tearing her gaze away before she lost herself completely in Buffy's eyes.

"I should, ummm...I should go," she said. Without waiting for a response, she turned and headed for the door.

"But..."

Faith plowed right past Buffy's attempt to forestall her leaving. "See you later," she called over her shoulder as she left the house and headed down the porch steps. She pretended not to hear the sad 'good-bye' Buffy whispered before shutting the front door.

**Fade Out.**

**Fade In:**

**Summers Home - Early The Next Morning**

Dawn shuffled out of her bedroom and into the bathroom across the hall. After a few minutes, she came out, yawning and stretching. She noticed that the door to Willow and Tara's room was still closed, but Buffy's was open. She glanced inside and found it empty. The bed didn't even look as if it had been slept in. Dawn's forehead creased in worry. She hurried down the stairs.

In the living room, she found her sister asleep on the couch. Buffy lay curled in a ball, a pillow clutched to her chest, the afghan behind her untouched. Buffy's face looked tired and careworn; she was frowning in her sleep as if she were dreaming.

Dawn approached her carefully and gently called her name. "Buffy?" When her sister didn't respond, she squatted beside the couch and touched her sister's arm. "Buffy?"

"Faith!" Buffy cried out as she awoke with a start. "Dawn," she said when she realized where she was and who was with her.

At Faith's name, Dawn huffed in disgust and stood to her feet. She crossed her arms tightly and said, "Faith was a no-show, huh? Typical."

Buffy blinked a few times and then said, "No, um, she came by. Just for a few minutes." She noticed her position on the couch and sat up. "I guess I must have fallen asleep down here after she-"

"I think I'm up for pancakes," Dawn interjected, deliberately shifting the topic away from Faith. She put on an energetic smile. "You want me to make you some? Tara taught me how to make the funny shapes, only mine usually come out looking a lot funnier than hers do. They still taste good, though."

Buffy met Dawn's eyes for only a moment. "No, I, um...I think I'll just go back to bed for a little while." She glanced briefly at her sister once more. "Maybe when I get up." Then she slipped past Dawn and went upstairs.

Dawn's entire expression fell. "I come down, she goes up. Guess it's gonna be another 'I don't wanna be around my little sister' day." After a sad sigh, she trudged off to the kitchen alone.

**Cut To:**

**Faith's Motel Room - Same Time**

Upon her return from patrol, Faith had tossed and turned most of the night, at war with herself over how she was feeling about Buffy and how Buffy seemed to be feeling about her. It had been close to three o'clock before Faith had been able to fall asleep.

Once the faint light of sunrise began peeking through the bare curtains, she woke up and hadn't been able to go back to sleep. Giving a growl of displeasure, she finally got up and headed for the bathroom.

When she returned to the bed, she immediately picked up her pack of Luckys and found it empty. She pulled another pack from the carton, opened it, and shook out a single cigarette. She lit it and took a deep drag off it. She slowly exhaled, allowing the nicotine to begin dulling her edginess. After a few more drags, she turned her attention to the phone on her night stand.

"Time to check in with Team Tweed," she announced, snickering a bit at her little joke.

As soon as she picked up her phone card, though, she remembered how Dr. Raine had caught her smoking during their last long distance call. She grumbled to herself and reluctantly put out her cigarette before punching in the numbers. When the ringing stopped, she heard her watcher answer the phone.

"Hel-ahem-hello?" Dr. Raine said in a scratchy, sleep-muddled voice.

Faith silently pumped her fist. _Gotcha!_ "What's up, Doc?" she teased. "Obviously not you."

"Faith, ah...well, um...yes. I put in quite a few hours yesterday." The watcher's voice was slowly returning to its usual crispness. "How are things in Sunnydale?"

"At the moment, quiet. Patrol was a _total_ bust last night. I guess the creatures of the night heard the news that a real slayer's back in town."

"Well, enjoy it while you can. The reprieve won't last long, I'm sure."

"Gee, thanks for the optimism there, Doc," Faith laughed.

"Just being realistic, my dear. Hopefully, however, the lull _will_ last until I get there, which shouldn't be too much longer."

"Hey, no problem. Things are five-by-five here in SunnyD. Don't you worry."

As Faith spoke, her eyes caught a glimpse of the folded photo booth pictures that she had propped against the phone the night before. She plucked the strip of photos from their place and started looking at them.

"What are your plans for the day?" Dr. Raine asked.

"Not sure yet," Faith answered.

She was smiling at the first two frames showing her and Buffy making goofy poses. Then she turned the strip over and looked at the last two frames-the ones where the two had shared a passionate kiss and then stared breathlessly at each other. Faith's smile fell away, and she put the strip of pictures back on the night stand out of her view.

"I've got a few stops to make," she went on, "but mostly I'll just be hangin' out, I guess."

"I know you expect 'business' to be light, as it were, but how are you healing?"

"Pretty good." Faith stood and stretched her upper body, wincing when she felt the sharp pain of her bruised ribs. "Ribs're still sore, but other'n that, I am A-OK."

"Well, get some rest and something proper to eat," Dr. Rained instructed. " 'A well-rested and well-fed slayer is-' "

"-'a strong and healthy slayer'," Faith chimed in, finishing the much-repeated bit of watcher wisdom. "I think I've heard that one before..._Mother_," she added with a sarcastic smirk.

After Faith had made her good-byes and hung up the phone, the grin on her lips lingered for a moment-until her thoughts turned to Buffy's mom. Faith remembered how devastated Buffy had looked the night before when they had spoken of her mother's death. She remembered how she herself had felt when Angel had brought her the news in prison.

Mrs. Summers had been the only person in Sunnydale besides Buffy who had ever given a damn about her. To Giles, she'd been just a Council assignment, and a temporary one at that. To Willow and Xander, she'd been a novelty soon ignored. Mrs. Summers, though, had accepted her from the start.

Sure, some of that acceptance had been gratitude for Faith being Buffy's backup, but most of it had been just genuine, motherly concern on Mrs. Summers' part. Unfortunately, Faith had never been comfortable accepting the maternal attention that Mrs. Summers had shown her.

**Flashback To:**

**Summers Home - A Few Nights After Kakistos**

Faith and Buffy were eating supper with Mrs. Summers prior to their nightly patrol. As the two slayers stuffed themselves on the home-cooked meal, they chattered excitedly about the previous night's slaying and their potential prospects for the night that lay ahead of them.

After helping to clear the table, they grabbed their jackets and headed for the foyer. Mrs. Summers stopped them before they reached the door. As they turned around and stood side by side, she rested a hand on their outside shoulders.

"Are you girls _sure_ you have to go?" she asked. "Can't you rest for just one night?"

"Sorry, Mom," Buffy answered. "Evil doesn't take the night off, so we can't either."

"Please be careful," Mrs. Summers told them as she gave their shoulders a gentle squeeze and looked at them with obvious concern.

Buffy smiled warmly at the gesture, but Faith could only look away in discomfort. Back home in Boston, being within touching range of her mother had always meant being within hitting range, or worse. So when Mrs. Summers' simple shoulder squeeze turned into an all-out hug, Faith felt herself stiffen and then panic. She had to fight off the urge to wriggle away to safety.

Soon, though, the embrace was over, and she and Buffy were out the door and on their way to their first cemetery of the night.

**Cut To:**

**Faith's Motel Room - Resume Present Time**

Faith sighed heavily as she remembered the way that and many other 'maternal moments' with Mrs. Summers had played out.

She wished she had been able to let herself accept and return the affection that Mrs. Summers had been offering. Maybe if she had, she could've stayed on the shallow end of the insanity pool instead of diving right into the deep end.

But she hadn't, and in her fall, she had lost Buffy _and_ her mother.

And now that Mrs. Summers was dead, it was too late to make amends.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Kitchen - A Short Time Later**

Dawn hadn't been in the kitchen long when Tara had gotten up and made her way downstairs. Tara was surprised to find the teenager not only out of bed but also about to cook breakfast. The counter was cluttered with pancake-making paraphernalia, but no actual flap-jacking had occurred yet.

"Hey, Early Bird," Tara said cheerfully. "What worm are you after today?"

Both Tara and Dawn grimaced at the greeting's unintended grossness.

"Okay, that sounded a lot better in my head than it did out loud," Tara added with a grin. "So...what are you doing up so early on a non-school day?"

Dawn shrugged. "Just woke up. I found Buffy downstairs asleep on the couch. I thought maybe Faith had ditched her, but she hadn't. Buffy just never came upstairs. At least not until _I_ came downstairs."

Tara moved closer and began gently stroking Dawn's hair as the teen continued to vent.

"She wouldn't even stay for pancakes. I told her you had taught me how to make them, but she just wanted to go to bed. 'Maybe later,' she said."

"Well, there ya go," Tara encouraged. "Why don't you plan a special meal for her? Like...a dinner with all her favorites, dessert and everything. What do you think?"

"Okay," Dawn agreed but without looking very hopeful about the plan's possibility of success. She stared at her hands for long moment before looking at Tara with tear-filled eyes. "Why does she hate me?" she asked in a stricken voice. "Is it because it's my fault she died?"

"No, no...oh, Sweetie, she doesn't hate you," Tara assured. "It's just that she's been through something very traumatic, both physically and emotionally. She's confused and hurting."

"But...I just wanna help...if she'd let me..."

"I know, but she needs time, and most importantly, she needs you to be patient with her."

Dawn let out a bitter huff. "She doesn't seem to need time when it comes to _Faith_."

Tara drew back and then began going through the motions of making pancakes. "You've been listening to Willow too much."

"Well, what she's said has made a lot of sense," Dawn defended. When she saw the pain in Tara's eyes, though, she immediately backtracked. "But not everything!" she frantically amended. She reached out and touched Tara's arm. "Not what she said to you last night. That was really really mean, and she should _never_ have said that. I mean, I was shocked that she _did_ say it. It just...it wasn't like her."

Tara shot Dawn a very sad glance. "No, it wasn't." After a long sigh, Tara forced a smile onto her face and asked, "So...funny shapes?"

**Fade Out.**

**Fade In:**

**Cemetery - Joyce's Grave - Later That Morning**

Mrs. Summers' plot was in a row partially hidden by a cluster of trees. Faith stared at the grave from the safety of the trees for nearly a half hour before finally walking over and standing on the left side of the grassy mound. She kept her gaze down for a moment, then lifted her eyes to look at the headstone.

It was a smooth rectangular marker set upon a larger, rougher-cut granite base. The words "Beloved Mother" had been engraved in the pale gray surface above Mrs. Summers' name. Below her birth and death dates was a simple carving of a single rose. On the base to the left of the marker was a bronze vase where flowers could be placed. A cluster of loose stones rested on the base's edge, and a small bouquet of mixed flowers was in the vase. The blooms were dry and faded, but not decayed. Someone had clearly visited recently.

"Damn it," Faith said, shaking her head and glancing away. "I should've brought something." She looked back at the headstone. "Sorry. I, uh, I kinda suck at stuff like this."

She used the toe of her boot to nudge at several clumps of grass before she eventually made herself go on.

"Anyway, I know you're probably not too keen on me bein' here, but...I, um, I just wanted to apologize for all the things I did. I hurt Buffy, I hurt you, and-and Dawn and Willow and Xander and almost the whole freakin' world, and I wish I could take it all back."

She dropped her gaze once again and began twisting her fingers together.

"You were always so nice to me, and I-"

"-repaid her by punching her in the face and holding a knife to her throat!"

Faith jumped in fright when she heard the voice behind her. She whipped around and found a furious Dawn Summers glaring at her.

"Dawn..." Faith said softly, the fear in her eyes now joined by deep regret and sorrow.

"What are you doing here?" Dawn demanded.

"Nothing, I was just-"

"What? Stomping on my mother's grave? Spitting on it?"

"No! I-I-I wouldn't do that. I-"

"You wouldn't do that? You tried to _kill_ her!" Dawn practically shrieked.

Faith opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. How could she explain that she wouldn't have killed Mrs. Summers, that she had threatened her only to hurt Buffy, to draw her into a showdown? What comfort could those words bring?

"I'm sor-"

"Get out," Dawn ordered. When the slayer hesitated, Dawn started screaming. "Get out, get out, get ouuuuuuut!"

Faith instantly turned and hurried away.

**Cut To:**

**Purgatory - The Timeout Room - Moments Later**

Joyce was crying before the screen that Laran had set up for her. Ozzie stood beside her, a hand on her shoulder.

She had just seen Dawn's cruel but understandable rejection of Faith's attempt to apologize. Now she had to endure the sight of her daughter, on hands and knees, sobbing at the foot of her grave. Ozzie moved in front of his friend and pulled her to him. She didn't resist and just wept against his chest.

As one of the gatekeepers between life and death, Osiris had witnessed millions of human passings. He had thought himself immune to the anguish of the lower beings, but he was obviously far from it...at least where a certain Joyce Summers was concerned.

How had he lost his heart to this young one, so newly raised from the mortal coil?

He wasn't sure, but he knew that he'd do everything he could to support her, even if it meant defying Powers-That-Be.

**Cut To:**

**Cemetery - The Old Part - Same Time**

Faith picked up speed once she passed the trees, and she raced away from Joyce's grave. She could feel tears stinging her eyes as she ran, but she fought them off long enough to get to the older part of the cemetery. Once she was alone among the crumbling mausoleums, she came to a stop and let out a roar of frustration. Then she began pacing the grounds, panting and roughly wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"I'm trying, I'm trying so hard...but it doesn't matter, it doesn't fucking matter!"

_Did you think it was going to be easy? _her inner critic asked. _'Oh, I'm sorry I tried to kill your sister and your mother, but all's forgiven now, right?' _

Faith stopped pacing, closed her eyes, and tried to calm herself. She wished she could talk to Angel. He would understand what she was going through.

_**Voiceover, Faith: **__God, it hurts. I hate that it hurts like this._

_**Voiceover, Angel: **__Oh well, it's supposed to hurt. All that pain, all that suffering you caused is coming back on you. Feel it! Deal with it! Then maybe you've got a shot at being free._

Faith opened her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. Angel had told her that the path to redemption would be a lot harder once she got out. When he'd said that, of course, the possibility of her seeing the outside world had been remote at best. It wasn't the in-her-face reality that it was now.

She let out another sigh and whispered, "Angel, what do I do?"

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - A Short Time Later**

Willow was sitting on the couch with a textbook perched on her knees. She was absently flipping the pages but not really seeing the words that were in front if her. She looked up from her book and frowned.

The tension between her and Tara hadn't lessened with the new day. As soon as Willow had gotten up, Tara had come up with some excuse to leave the house. Grocery shopping this time. Once again Tara had left with only a cursory parting, which irked Willow to no end.

It saddened her, too. She missed her girlfriend, damn it! Why did Tara have to be so damn naive?

Willow's inner musings were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Her hopeful expression fell when she saw Dawn stomp inside and slam the front door.

Willow set her book aside and stood up. "What is it, Dawnie?"

"_Faith_ was at Mom's grave," Dawn said with disgust. "I cannot _believe_ her!"

"What was she doing?" Willow asked.

"I don't know! What difference does it make? She doesn't have any _business_ being there."

"Damn right, she doesn't," Willow agreed hotly. "Not after what she did to your mom."

Willow paced the floor, seething as she remembered seeing Mrs. Summers' bruised face. After clenching and unclenching her fists multiple times, she turned back to Dawn. "What did you do?"

"I screamed at her, made her leave," Dawn answered.

"Good. That's good."

"_Why_ does she have to be here?" Dawn whined. "We don't need her now that Buffy's back. Why can't we just make her go away?"

"We will, Dawnie," Willow said, pulling the teenager into a hug. "We will."

As she stared off beyond Dawn's shoulder, Willow's eyes narrowed and darkened as the ghostly Fury continued whispering in her ear.

"One way or another," the witch said in a steely voice, "Faith is gonna _go_. I _swear_."

**Fade Out.**

**Fade In:**

**Magic Box - Later That Day**

After her run-in with Dawn, Faith had roamed Sunnydale's cemeteries for a while, trying to clear her head. When she had grown tired of the useless introspection, she had gone into town, run some errands, and then grabbed some lunch at the diner. Now she was just wandering down Main Street, killing time.

When she saw the sign for the Magic Box, she crossed the street and headed that way. Thanks to the Hellions, the glass of the display window and the front door had been broken out, but both were now covered with heavy plywood. A sign reading "Closed for Repairs" was nailed to the door. The door was ajar, though, so Faith pulled it open and went inside.

Like the other stores on the strip, the Magic Box had been ransacked and looted. Shelves were knocked down and ripped from the walls, tables had been overturned, just about anything breakable had been broken.

Xander was in the rear of the store using a power drill to reassemble a small bookshelf. Anya was kneeling on the floor before the checkout counter. She had her back to the front door and was gathering pieces of broken merchandise into a cardboard box.

"We're _not_ open," Anya said in an annoyed voice. "Can't you read?" Then she turned around and saw Faith standing there. "Oh, it's you."

"Looks like the Hellions did some serious damage," Faith noted.

"Ya think?" Xander replied sarcastically.

"You need some help?" Faith offered.

"We're not hiring," Anya said dismissively before turning back to her task.

"I wasn't lookin' for a job," Faith said, "I was just askin' if you needed help. But if you're not interested, fine."

As Faith turned to go, Anya scrambled to her feet and over to the slayer. "Free labor?" she asked with a gleam of interest in her eyes. "You're offering to work for free?"

Faith turned back around. "Sure. Ain't got nothing better to do at the moment."

Anya clapped her hands in delight. "I love free!" Then she pointed toward the back of the store. "You can help Xander get the shelves back up."

Xander glared at his girlfriend then pasted on an obviously fake smile as he turned back to Faith. "Great."

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Buffy's Room - Same Time**

As Anya, Xander, and Faith were cleaning up the Magic Box, Buffy was alone in her new bedroom, sorting through the boxes that she and Dawn had brought up the day before. At the moment, she was going through a shoebox full of photographs. She pulled one in particular from the box.

It was from the fall of 1998. It showed Buffy in her homecoming dress, posing prettily in front of the fireplace. Her mother had taken it right before Buffy had gone out to meet the limo that had arrived to pick her up.

As she stared at the picture, Buffy's mind took her back in time to the series of events that had come before and after the photo had been captured: Scott breaking up with her, Faith inviting her to the dance so that they could use a couple of studs, Cordelia daring her to run for Homecoming Queen, then Slayer Fest '98 followed by the humiliating loss of the election. The only thing worse was what happened afterwards.

**Flashback to "Homecoming"**

**Sunnydale High School - Night**

As a tearful Holly and Michelle accepted their co-win of the Homecoming Queen election, a stunned Buffy and Cordelia turned their backs on the stage and trudged toward the exit. Before Buffy could follow Cordelia out, Faith ran up, grabbed the blonde's arm, and spun her around.

"Yo, B! Where you goin'?"

"Anywhere but here," Buffy muttered, turning back toward the door.

"Aw, come on," Faith said, stopping her once again. "You ain't gonna let some stupid election keep you down, are you?"

Buffy glanced over Faith's shoulder at the stage where Devon and Oz and the rest of the band were gearing up to start the next set of songs. She brought her eyes back to Faith when the dark slayer grasped her shoulders and gave her a high-wattage, full-dimpled smile.

"Hell no," Faith said, answering her own question on Buffy's behalf. Then she took Buffy's hands in hers and started backing up, tugging her into the crowd.

Unable to resist Faith's charm, Buffy smiled back and allowed herself to be returned to the dance floor, where they rejoined Willow and Xander.

The four Scoobies danced as a group to a long set of fun, fast songs. Most of the time, though, Willow and Xander were left to dance _around_ Buffy and Faith as the two slayers fell into their own wicked groove.

As they danced, Buffy just couldn't take her eyes off Faith-how beautiful she was with her hair up, how sexy she looked in that body-clinging black dress, how hot she was when she danced with such abandon. Buffy didn't know where these thoughts were coming from, but she couldn't seem to stop them.

When the music suddenly shifted into a slow song, the foursome stopped and glanced at each other awkwardly. Willow and Xander instantly left the dance floor-in opposite directions. Buffy was puzzled by their exit, but before she could ask Faith what was up with them, her eyes locked onto something else in the center of the dance floor.

It was Scott Hope, happily slow-dancing with his date.

Buffy felt her earlier exhilaration seep out of her. She heard Faith asking her if she was up for some punch, but she didn't answer her. She just slipped quietly away, leaving Faith to stare into the crowd and wonder what had caught Buffy's attention.

Buffy wove through the sea of people with surprising speed, and soon she found herself on the roof of the gymnasium. She sighed gratefully for the open air and the welcome silence. But then the heaviness of her own thoughts descended.

_This was stupid. Thinking I could have a normal night, at a normal school dance, with a normal date, like a normal girl._

_Scott knew I wasn't normal. That's why he dumped me._

_What did I expect? I'm a slayer who lives on a hellmouth, who has to fight evil daily whether I want to or not, and if that's not enough, I have a vampire ex-boyfriend who's back from hell after I killed him and sent him there, and I'm keeping him secret from all of my friends and family because they'd kill him __and__ me if they knew I was hiding him._

_God, why does my life have to be so hard?_

At this last thought, her breath caught in her throat, and she felt hot tears leak from her eyes and down her cheeks.

"Hey...are you okay?"

_And then there's Faith_, Buffy thought when she heard the other slayer's voice behind her. She thought briefly of the kiss they'd shared on patrol a few nights after Kakistos and how she'd been trying (and failing) to forget it ever since. _I don't know what's going on there_.

She shook her head and turned around, wiping away her tears. "Yeah, just having a bad case of the might-have-beens, that's all."

Faith scoffed and made a dismissive wave with her hand. "Aw, come on, B...you know you really didn't like that pipsqueak very much."

Buffy bristled at Faith's know-it-all tone. "I did _so_," she insisted, crossing her arms.

"I mean, sure, you _liked_ him. He was cute and nice and all 'crunchy-topped blueberry muffin' or whatever. But you didn't really..." She pumped her fists and made a guttural grunt. "...you know?"

Buffy gave a sarcastic eye roll and uncrossed her arms. Faith took that opportunity to sidle up closer, easing into the other slayer's personal space. Buffy drew in a quick breath but made no move to step away.

"You didn't have that..._connection_..." Faith went on, running her hands slowly up Buffy's bare arms. "...that _chemistry_..."

Buffy couldn't stop herself from shivering at Faith's touch even though it felt like fire on her skin.

Faith reached up and pushed a errant strand of Buffy's hair back behind her ear. Then she trailed her fingertips along Buffy's jawline before stopping to caress her cheek.

"You didn't have what we have," Faith said, pinning Buffy with a smoldering stare.

Buffy was breathing in short gasps, frozen in place, unable to tear her gaze from Faith's. "I-I-I don't know what you mean..." she lied.

Faith's mouth curled into a half-smirk. "I'll show you what I mean..." She moved her hand to the back of Buffy's neck and pulled her in for a kiss.

As soon as Faith's lips met hers, Buffy felt the stone walls inside herself give way, crumbling before the rushing surge of suppressed attraction. She eagerly returned the embrace, her hands reaching for Faith's body of their own accord, drawing the other slayer even closer.

It was only when they stopped to breathe that Buffy's fear reasserted itself. Her head was reeling, and her heart was pounding-she had to _think_, she had to get away to think! She ducked her head and stepped back out of Faith's grasp.

"I, uhhh, I have to go..."

Faith gave a snort of disgust as if she had expected this reaction. "Why? Because of Angel?"

Buffy halted in terror. _Oh my god! Does she know?_ "What? No!" she shot back at Faith. "This has nothing to do with him."

Faith didn't look convinced. "He's _gone_, Buffy. Why can't you just accept that and move on?"

_Thank god, she doesn't know_, she thought before turning on Faith. "I _have_. Not that it's any of _your_ business!"

Faith threw her hands up in a mock apology. "Oh. Well. Excuse me for givin' a shit." She pushed past Buffy and headed for the stairwell door. "I won't make the same mistake again."

Buffy started to reach out to her, to say something to stop her, but she didn't. She just watched her go. When she turned away from the exit, new tears were rolling down her cheeks.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Buffy's Room - Resume Present Time**

Buffy berated herself for being such a coward and a liar-for keeping Angel secret, for claiming to be over him when she clearly wasn't, for acting like she didn't feel that connection, that chemistry, that was so definitely between her and Faith.

She'd hurt Faith that night, she knew that, and although they'd become friends again after the 'band candy' incident, the damage hadn't been undone. In fact, everything Buffy had done after that had just seemed to make things worse.

_So many bad decisions...so many things I wish I could take back..._

Buffy sadly put the photo away and went back to her sorting.


	13. Chapter 13

**FOLLOW YOUR HEART**

**DragonWriter17**

**PART 13**

**Fade In:**

**Magic Box - Later That Same Day**

After several hours, Faith and Xander had gotten most of the shelves back up and in their proper locations. Salvageable merchandise had been returned to the shelves and tables. Destroyed items had been loaded into boxes and taken into the back room, which was still outfitted as a slayer training room.

At the moment Faith was transferring the boxes of trash from the back room to the dumpster in the alley. After heaving the last one over the edge and into the dumpster, she stopped and went through a few upper body stretches, frowning a bit in discomfort. Then she shook out her arms and went back inside.

She returned to the back corner where Xander was putting the final set of screws into the back of an extremely large shelving unit.

"Is it ready to go up?" Faith asked.

"Yep," Xander replied, putting away his power drill.

"Okay, then. Let's do this."

They moved to the top of the unit, squatted down, and hooked their fingers under the edge. On a count of three, they lifted with all their might. They strained and grunted until they had raised the shelf high enough to shift their grip from a pull to a push. When they tried to push the shelf into a standing position, they discovered that the bottom back edge of the shelf was hitting the wall.

"Damn it, we're too close to the wall," Xander said. "Set it down."

"No, I'll hold it up, you scoot it back from the wall," Faith said.

"But..."

"Do it!" Faith ordered.

Xander reluctantly complied, moving around to the end of the shelf. While Faith strained to hold up the whole shelf by herself, he lifted the end and moved it forward a few inches.

"Halfway there," he said before rushing to the other end.

Once she felt him make the last adjustment, Faith let out a roar and pushed the shelf the rest of the way up, without waiting for him to come and help her.

"You could've waited, you showoff," Xander complained lightly as he rejoined Faith at the front of the now upright shelf.

He found Faith down on one knee, cradling her arm against her side, cursing softly.

He knelt down beside her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Faith said through gritted teeth.

The grimace of pain on her face told Xander she was anything but fine.

"I'm just a little sore from that showdown the other night," she insisted.

"A _little_? You look like you're trying to pass a kidney stone the size of a baseball. Why didn't you say something?"

Faith shot him a scowl.

"Ohhhh, riiiiiight," Xander teased. "It's that slayer 'wall of silence' commandment. 'Thou shalt not admit to injury or pain.' "

Faith grinned and forced herself to stand. "Yep, that's the one."

Xander rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Slayers," he muttered as he got to his feet.

They shared a smile and then turned awkwardly silent.

After a moment, Xander looked at her and said, "Seriously. Thanks for the help today. And for dealing with those biker demons. I don't know what we would've done if you hadn't sent 'em packing."

"Hey, that's what I'm here for." When another uncomfortable lull in the conversation descended, Faith cocked her thumb over her shoulder and began backing away. "I'm gonna head out, leave you guys to it..."

"Thanks again."

"No problem."

Faith turned and started for the door. She had gone only a few feet before she turned back. "Xan?"

"Yeah?"

"I, uhh, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for all the things I did before. I know it's just words, and they don't count for much, but I really do mean it."

Xander crossed his arms and nodded his head noncommittally. "Duly noted."

Faith nodded back and then left.

Just as Faith was exiting the front door, Anya came up from the basement. She pointed in the slayer's direction and called out to Xander, "Where is she going? I'm not through allowing her to work for free."

Xander didn't answer. He just stared at the doorway, thinking intently.

**Fade Out.**

**Fade In:**

**Summers Home - Kitchen - Late Afternoon**

Having decided to take Tara's suggestion, Dawn was now in the process of cooking a special supper for Buffy-one that featured a number of her favorite dishes. Better yet, she and Tara had managed to coax Buffy downstairs to assist in the elaborate production. Even Willow the Grouch had been lured into the action, and the four housemates were actually having a good time.

Or so it seemed.

Despite their best efforts and her own, Buffy still felt disconnected from her sister and her friends. She knew she should be feeling comfortable and happy, but she wasn't. She didn't feel as distant and cold as she had at first; she had begun to see a small hint of that warmth and closeness returning. It was taking so long, though, and in the meantime, she was stuck feeling only that inner pain, that inexplicable sense of loss that lay deep within her. Although the pain had dulled to a bearable level, it was still there.

And being alone didn't exactly ease the pain, but at least it did free her temporarily from the needs of her friends and family. They _needed_ her to be okay, to be herself again, to absolve them of their guilt at pulling her from heaven. They _needed_ her to be the slayer, to resume her role as the leader of the pack, to set their worlds right again.

But she didn't know how to do any of those things. She didn't even know how to make it through the next minute. All she could do was go through the motions and pray that she would feel better soon.

**Cut To:**

**Faith's Motel Room - Same Time**

After leaving the Magic Box, Faith had stopped at the pharmacy and then made a fast food run. When she had gotten back to her room, she'd wolfed down her cheeseburger combos, swallowed a handful of aspirin, and washed it all down with the melted remains of her large chocolate shake. Then she'd kicked off her boots and settled onto the bed for a quick nap before patrolling.

She had awakened after only a short time, though, and was now pacing the room in frustration that she had to wait another hour or so before sundown. When staring out the window didn't make the sun set any faster, Faith plopped back on her bed and pulled out the motorcycle magazine she had gotten earlier when she'd bought the bottle of aspirin.

Not even the flashy magazine could hold her attention, though. Instead, her mind went where it always did. To Buffy.

Faith groaned and draped one arm over her eyes. "I need a freakin' Buffy-ectomy for my brain..."

Unfortunately, acknowledging her obsession didn't lessen it in any way. Visions of Buffy, both real and imagined, still danced in her head. She still couldn't believe that Buffy was alive and mere minutes away. She especially couldn't believe that she and the blonde were actually getting along. It had been almost two days, and they hadn't tried to kill each other once. Maybe they could get it right this time. Maybe they could finally be real friends. Maybe, just maybe, they could be more.

Faith sat up and shook her head. "Give it up, girl," she told herself. "Ain't gonna happen. You already got a miracle with Buffy bein' back. Don't be expectin' another one."

She thought of how Willow and Dawn had responded to seeing Buffy's attachment to her. She thought, too, of how Dawn had gone ballistic on her at Mrs. Summers' grave. Although Faith knew these reactions were well deserved, she still couldn't stop herself from wanting to see Buffy, to be near her, to spend time with her. After a moment of brooding, she came to a decision.

"You know what?" she announced to her motel room. "Screw the others. I've waited a long time to get the chance to make things up to Buffy and to start over, even if it's just as friends. If the Scrappy Doos don't like it, they can kiss my ass!"

At that, she put on her jacket, snatched up her keys, and headed for the door.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Minutes Later**

Buffy, Dawn, Willow, and Tara were at the dining room table, talking and enjoying the meal that they had prepared. All of them were contributing to the conversation, even Buffy. They were also working hard at keeping the atmosphere light and pleasant, which meant no mention of Faith whatsoever.

Although Buffy had participated during all stages of the meal, her facade was beginning to wear thin. It was taking more and more of her energy to keep her pain from leaking through. When she saw that her glass was empty, she decided to take the opportunity for a quick breather in the kitchen.

"I'm going for a refill," Buffy announced, holding up her glass. "Anybody want anything?"

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Buffy told the others. "I'm already up."

Buffy headed to the front door, glass still in hand. When she opened the door, her face instantly lit up into a bright smile.

"Faith, hey," she greeted happily. "Come on in." She lifted her glass as she led Faith into the dining room. "I was just on my way to the kitchen. You want something to drink or eat? We got tons of food."

Faith glanced at the table. Tara was smiling at her, but Dawn and Willow were slicing and dicing her with their eyes.

"Uhhh, no...thanks. I already ate," she said, turning back to Buffy. "I, um...I just came by to see if you wanted to go for a ride." She suddenly realized she'd been twisting her fingers together like a nervous teenager. She forced herself into a casual pose. "I haven't had time to really test out the new wheels on a wide open stretch. Thought maybe you'd like to come along. You know, if you're not busy or anything."

"I'd love to," Buffy said excitedly. "Let me go and get my jacket." She put her glass on the table and practically bounced away.

"But, but..." Dawn huffed in objection, "...we haven't had dessert yet. It's your favorite... Double Chocolate Delight."

"We can have some when Buffy gets back," Tara interjected, trying to be the mediator. "I'm sure she won't be gone long." She shot Faith a hint-hint look.

Faith got the message. "Oh, um, yeah, sure," she said. "I gotta patrol when it gets dark, so I don't have long anyway."

Despite the prospect of a short away time for Buffy, Dawn was not happy. She crossed her arms tightly and looked away. Willow just continued silently glaring at the dark slayer.

Faith took that as her cue to leave. "I guess I'll just wait outside."

**Cut To:**

**Revello Drive - Seconds Later**

When Buffy had returned to the dining room, she'd gotten a very chilly reception. Dawn had shot her an injured look and then fled to the kitchen. Willow had shaken her head and followed after Dawn. Only Tara had seemed to understand. The blonde had told her to enjoy her ride and not to worry, that they'd have dessert when she came back.

Now Buffy was coming slowly down the sidewalk, a troubled look on her face.

"Everything okay?"

She glanced up at Faith's question. "Yeah," she answered before correcting herself. "Well, no...not exactly. I think Dawn's pissed off 'cause I bailed on her special dinner."

"Yeah...sorry 'bout that. I guess I shoulda called first. We can go another time if you-"

"No!" Buffy instantly said before softening her tone. "No, I, um, I want to go...You're saving me actually."

"The kid's cookin's that bad, huh?"

Buffy gave a brief chuckle. "No, it's not that. It was just getting really hard...being there...being around them." She dropped her gaze to the ground. "They're _sooo_ excited I'm back, and I'm just..._not_. I try to hide it. I mean, they were trying to do something good...it's not their fault I got ripped from heaven instead of Glory's hell dimension." When Buffy looked up, her eyes were filled with tears. "I don't understand it, though. All I feel is pain around them. They're my friends...my _family_...I should feel _something_ for them, shouldn't I?"

"You _do_, B. If you didn't, you wouldn't care if they knew how bad you're hurtin' right now."

Buffy thought about that, then nodded and smiled, feeling a small bit of comfort in those words.

"I gotta admit," Faith went on, "I'm with the Super Friends on this. I'm _really_ glad you're back. But...I'm sorry that it hurts for you to be here."

Buffy looked deeply into Faith's eyes. "It doesn't hurt when I'm with you."

Faith's mouth dropped open, and she blinked a few times. "For real?" she asked in utter disbelief.

Buffy nodded. For a moment she considered whether or not to tell Faith what else she'd been feeling inside-how safe she felt with her, how happy, how complete. Before she could, though, Faith spoke up again.

"Weird," she commented. Then she gestured apologetically at her motorcycle. "I don't have any helmets yet..."

Buffy just smiled warmly and said, "I trust you."

**Cut To:**

**Faith's Motorcycle - Moments Later**

As the sun slowly sank in the sky, the two slayers buttoned up their jackets, climbed aboard Faith's motorcycle, and sped away.

At first, Buffy sat upright, only loosely gripping Faith's hips as she peeked over the brunette's shoulder for a view of the road. When Faith told her to hang on, though, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the slayer's waist. She felt an exhilirating thrill as Faith went full throttle on a long straightaway. When Faith eased the motorcycle back to a slow cruise for the curvy parts, Buffy didn't return to her former position. If anything, she snuggled closer against Faith's back.

Which suited Faith just fine.

_This is how things oughta be_, she mused to herself. _Me and B, wild and free._

She made a mental snort at her corny thoughts but couldn't help smiling. After the shitty day she'd had, this was just what she needed to recharge. She hoped Buffy felt the same.

And Buffy did. It was the first time all day that she'd been able to truly relax. Here with Faith, she felt at peace, connected, warm. It was only when Faith pulled into a scenic overlook and parked the bike that Buffy reluctantly released her hold on the other slayer.

"So...what'd'ya think?" Faith asked as they stepped off the motorcycle.

"I think I like," Buffy replied playfully. "You'll have to teach me how to drive this thing."

"With _your_ drivin' record," Faith ribbed, "I don't think so."

"Hey! What do you know about my driving?"

"Only what I heard, and that was enough."

Buffy sent her a mock glare followed by a well-placed pout. "You don't trust me? But I trusted _you_ to drive us without helmets..."

Surrendering to the power of the pout, Faith rolled her eyes and admitted, "That's true. You did."

Grinning at her victory, Buffy led the way to the rustic but sturdy fence that protected visitors from the cliff's edge. The two slayers leaned against the wooden railing and gazed down at the valley below. The setting sun sent streaks of gold and orange through the tangle of rocks and ridges, trees and brush.

Neither slayer spoke for a while. They just quietly enjoyed the view. Eventually Faith broke the silence.

"You can, you know," she said softly.

"I can what?" Buffy asked.

"Trust me," Faith answered. "With anything. I won't ever betray you again...I _swear_."

"I know," Buffy said with certainty. She didn't know where that certainty came from, and she didn't care. She knew what she knew, and that was all that mattered. "I won't betray you again either."

When Buffy saw the dark slayer's brow furrow in confusion, she said, "Come on, Faith. I'm the one with the resurrected brain. I'm the one supposed to be having recollection issues, not you."

When Faith still looked perplexed, Buffy reminded her, "I kept Angel secret, remember? Of course, you blew it off like it was nothing, but...I know it hurt you, and I'm sorry. There's probably a million other things I did..."

As Buffy went on, Faith dropped her gaze to her hands.

"...plus the whole stabbing on the roof. That was the ultimate betrayal. About as ultimate as you can get."

Faith gave her head a rueful shake. "That one doesn't count."

Now it was Buffy's turn to be confused.

Faith looked back up and met Buffy's eyes. "I deserved that one. After everything I did...hurtin' Xander and Willow, tryin' to kill Angel, helpin' the Mayor...you could've done a lot worse. Probably should have."

The slayers became quiet again, but this time the silence wasn't so comfortable. Each thought back to the mistakes they'd made in the past, the decisions that they still deeply regretted.

Faith's anxiety finally got the best of her, and she lit up a cigarette.

Buffy turned to Faith and raised an eyebrow at her. "Since when do you smoke?" she teasingly scolded.

"Since doin' hard time in the big house, darlin'," Faith answered in an intentionally gravelly voice.

After sharing a chuckle with Buffy, she continued.

"It was just something to do. Plus I could trade 'em for soap," she added with a grin. Then she took another drag off her cigarette and shrugged. "I'm gonna quit. Promised the Doc I would."

Then she straightened into a prim and proper posture and raised her index finger. " 'There shall be no smoking of any kind in my house!' " she said, mimicking Dr. Raine's British accent.

Buffy laughed and then asked, "Are you _surrrrre_ she's not Terrible Travers the Second?"

"Nah, she's good. Nothin' like her brother," Faith insisted. "She's sharp as a tack, like wicked smart. And, tough? Man, she ain't scared o' nothin'. The biggest, baddest gang bitch comes in that infirmary, givin' her shit while she's tryin' to help...she just stares 'em down. I mean, no blinkin' or nothin' for like a full minute. No fear, not a drop. And they know it."

"Is that what she did to you?" Buffy playfully needled.

Faith gave her a what-do-you-mean glance.

"Well," Buffy teased, "weren't you the biggest baddest bitch there?"

Faith had to smile. "Yeah, pretty much. Took the others a while to figure out they couldn't take me, no matter how many jumped me." She sobered a bit. "I spent a lot o' time in the infirmary." Then she brightened again and pointed with her cigarette between her fingers. "But not as much as them."

Faith gazed off in thought for a moment before continuing.

"Dr. Raine would always treat me last. Pissed me off sometimes, but then I realized she was doing it so she could talk to me. This was before I knew she was my watcher, by the way. Anyway, she wouldn't say a lot. Just these little 'mini-grills.' Like this one time when she was stitching up my side."

" 'Sooo,' she said, 'is this how you plan to spend the next twenty years? Relieving your boredom with fighting?' "

" 'You think this is me bein' unbored?' I shot back. 'I nearly took a freakin' shiv to the kidneys! I'd rather keep all o' my blood inside o' me, thank you very much.' "

" 'What else can I think?' she asked all nonchalant. 'You certainly aren't electing any other option.' "

" 'What other option?' I demanded."

"Then she pinned me with that stare of hers. 'To make a difference,' she said. 'Even here.' "

"She didn't say anything else after that. Just went back to her stitching. Wasn't long after that, she asked me to come work with her in the infirmary."

Buffy smiled and noted, "Where you made a difference."

"Ehhh, I don't know about that," Faith said, dropping her cigarette butt and crushing beneath her boot. "Didn't really know my ass from an aspirator in there. I did better breakin' up fights in the commons and the yard."

After another quiet moment, Faith glanced at the sky and said, "We better head back. It'll be dark soon."

The two slayers left the overlook and headed back to the bike.

"We should come here again," Buffy suggested. "Earlier in the day so we can stay longer."

"Sounds good to me."

"Yeah, we could make it a picnic...stop by Doublemeat Palace and-"

"Doublemeat Palace?" Faith scrunched her nose in disgust. "I'll take Happy Burger over that place any day."

"What's wrong with Doublemeat Palace? I like Doublemeat Palace."

"How about the fact that there's no _meat_ in their sandwiches?"

"Yes, there is." At Faith's insistent head shaking, Buffy added, "Oh yeah? Then how can they call themselves 'Doublemeat'? They can't just _lie_ in their advertising, you know. They have to, ummm, tell the truth and everything...laws and stuff..." She trailed off, realizing her argument was complete crap. "Okay, Happy Burger it is."

**Cut To:**

**Revello Drive - Sunset**

After climbing off the motorcycle, Faith and Buffy stood on the sidewalk beside Revello Drive in front of the large palm tree that graced the corner of the Summers yard. Both fidgeted like high schoolers home from their first date.

"Thanks for the ride," Buffy said, twisting the fingers of her hands together. "I, um, I really enjoyed it."

"Me too," Faith replied. Then she pointed at her bike. "I'll work on gettin' some helmets, though. You know, for next time."

"Sounds good."

"Yeah."

An awkward silence descended, and the two slayers rocked on their feet and cast nervous glances at one another. Finally Faith cleared her throat and spoke.

"I, uh, I just wanted to say that I really like things being cool between us. I know I screwed up in the past, but I'm gonna do better this time. I promise."

Buffy smiled and said, "Me too." She cocked her thumb over her shoulder toward the house. "You wanna come in? Dawn has promised me a divine Double Chocolate Delight."

Faith shook her head. "Nah...after the look she gave me in there, I think I better stay put. 'Sides, I gotta head out to patrol."

Buffy's light mood instantly vanished, and extreme worry took its place.

Faith noticed the change in the blonde's expression. "Don't worry about me," she told her. "I'll be fine. I have done this before, you know."

"I know," Buffy replied before tugging Faith into a tight hug. "But please be careful. Please."

"I will," Faith promised, returning the embrace. As she pulled out of the hug, she put a teasing look on her face and struck a kung-fu pose. "Hey, I got a fifth-degree black belt in 'careful'!"

Buffy gave Faith a playful slug in the arm. "Yeah, right."

Faith laughed. "Just listen for my bike. When you hear the vroom-vroom, you know I made it back from patrol just fine and I'm on my way home."

"Okay," Buffy agreed.

As the two slayers reluctantly made their good-byes, neither of them noticed that they were being watched from the shadows.

**Cut To:**

**Revello Drive - Seconds Later**

After giving a final wave to Buffy, Faith began rummaging through her motorcycle's saddle bags, pulling out a stake and a dagger and tucking them into her jacket. When she finished that and turned around, she was startled to find Willow right in her path.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" Willow demanded.

"With what?" Faith asked defiantly.

"With Buffy!"

"I'm not doin' a damn thing," Faith answered before leaning over to pull her keys from the ignition.

Willow maneuvered herself into Faith's line of sight again. "Taking her on motorcycle rides, being all hugsy..._How_ can you take advantage of her like that? She just came back from the dead, she's emotionally vulnerable, and you're _using_ her!"

"I am not!" Faith insisted. "I'm just trying to be nice."

"Ha! You? Nice?" Willow made a scoffing laugh and then pointed viciously at Faith. "You're not _capable_ of being nice. Not unless it gets you something in return. And what you want from her, you are _never_ going to get. This fixation she has on you...it _isn't real_. It's just some stupid post-traumatic attachment that'll be gone before you know it. But until it goes bye-bye, I am _not_ gonna let you hurt her."

Faith tried to take the diplomatic route and held up her hands in a calming gesture. "Look, I know I did a lot of bad things before, and I'm sorry about that, but I'm _different_ now," she said sincerely. "I would never do anything to hurt Buffy."

"I don't care how 'reformed' you claim to be," Willow spat back. "The truth is you _destroy_ everything you touch, and I won't let you destroy Buffy. She's been through enough already. So if you know what's good for you, you _better_ stay away from her."

Faith was taken aback, unsure whether she should be amused by the redhead's aggression or actually concerned. "Are you _threatening_ me?" she asked.

Willow got right in Faith's face. "I'm not the little _weakling_ you remember, Faith. I've got power now, _real_ power, enough to bring Buffy back from the dead. I wouldn't even break a _sweat_ putting you in the ground!"

Faith was too stunned for words, which was just as well because Willow didn't stick around for a reply. She turned on her heel and strode away.

It took Faith a few moments to come out of her shock. When she did, her heart was still racing, and she felt a shiver pass through her body. "What the fuck just happened?"

She didn't know, and truth be told, she didn't really want to. It was too unsettling. She just needed to set it aside and focus on the task at hand, which was slaying.

With a heavy sigh, Faith turned away from the Summers home and headed down the street to begin her patrol.

**Fade Out.**

**Fade In:**

**Summers Home - Willow & Tara's Bedroom - Later That Night**

As Tara showered in the master bath, Willow broodingly paced the bedroom, the Fury ever at her side. When the phone rang, she stopped and walked to the door to the hallway.

"I'll get it," she called out to Dawn before picking up the phone. "Hello?"

"Will! Just the person I was wantin' to talk to."

Willow's expression lightened at the sound of her best friend's voice. "Hey, Xander. What's up?"

"Guess who came by the shop today?" Xander asked. "And helped us clean up all afternoon? Last person in the world you'd expect."

The Fury whispered creepily into Willow's other ear. "_Faith...bitch..._"

Willow's face returned to its scowl. "Faith..."

"Nope," Xander said without having really heard Willow's answer. "Even more unlikely than-Wait, did you say Faith? How did you know?"

"Lucky guess."

The Fury rested ethereal hands on Willow's shoulders. "_Murderer...killer..._"

"Seems like she's everywhere these days," Willow grumbled. "Except where she's supposed to be."

"Well, I'm not sayin' I wanna join the Faith Fan Club or anything, but she was a big help today. She really went above and beyond, especially since she was still hurt from fightin' those biker demons."

"_Manipulator...liar...betrayer..._" the Fury hissed.

"God, Xander, can you think with the right head for once?" Willow angrily accused. "She. Is. Playing. You. She's just buttering you up so you'll forget everything she's done."

"Jeez, what's with the harsh, Will?" Xander said in a hurt voice.

"I'm just sick of her, all right?" Willow shot back. "She's using Buffy, taking advantage of her vulnerability. She upset Dawnie today-twice! I just want to..."

As Willow trailed off, the Fury loomed over her, its quivering wings nearly embracing her.

"_Killer...killer..._" it growled. "_Kill__. __Her__._"

"...I just want her to go away!" Willow finished. "We don't need her, and we don't want her."

"I hear ya," Xander said. "But I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the Council's gonna do when Faith's watcher gets here, once they know Buffy's back."

"Yeah, I guess so," Willow said.

At least that was what her mouth said. The darkening pupils of her narrowed eyes said something else entirely.

**Fade Out.**

**Fade In:**

**Purgatory - The Timeout Room - Near Midnight Sunnydale Time**

For hours, Joyce and Osiris lingered near the monitor in which Laran had appeared to them earlier. They continued to rebuff the annoying residents of the waiting room, but the situation was definitely wearing on them.

"I swear...if that man blows his cigar smoke on me one more time, I'm going to snatch it out of his hand and shove it where the sun don't shine!"

Ozzie's eyes widened, and he gave Joyce a reassessing stare. Maybe Laran was right. Maybe Buffy did get her fire from her mother.

His thoughts were interrupted when they began to hear a high-pitched whine. When they turned in its direction, they discovered that the escalating shrill was coming from the waiting room door. Suddenly, the door blew open with a thundering boom.

"GO!" came Laran's voice from the monitor behind them.

When they heard Laran's voice, they turned to look at him on the screen.

"You have to hurry," he told them. "There's a Fury. You have to stop it before it's too late! Go! NOW!"

As Joyce and Ozzie took off for the exit, the inhabitants of the waiting room began morphing into the menacing figures of guards.

"Stop them!" the figures screamed as they reached out for Joyce and Ozzie.

Joyce ducked past several sets of grasping hands. When one guard managed to latch onto her arm, she jerked out of his grip and kept moving.

Ozzie's much larger form allowed him to more easily push their attackers away, but his size was also slowing him down. He finally picked up a guard and flung him back against the tide of bodies going after them. Then he grabbed Joyce and stopped her.

"I'll buy you the time," he told her before removing an ornate amulet from around his neck and placing it around hers. "Take this," he said, touching the amulet until it glowed. "You'll need it to fight the Fury."

"But..."

"Go!" he urged as the guards descended upon them again. "You must get to the top before they catch you!"

Osiris began fighting in earnest then, punching and shoving everyone that tried to get past him. Joyce hesitated only a moment more before dashing toward the door. She got through it just before Ozzie shoved it closed, blocking the mob of guards from reaching her.

**Cut To:**

**Purgatory - The Mount - Continuous**

When Joyce exited the structure that housed the Timeout Room, she found herself at the base of a mountain that rested upon a tiny island in a great ocean. As far as her eye could see, there was no land but the isle and its mountain.

She raised her head and looked up. The mountain had terraced levels; she appeared to be on the first. Six more levels rose above her. The distant summit shined in promise.

Her mouth dropped open as she gaped in awe and trepidation at what awaited her. She absently grasped the glowing amulet Ozzie had given her.

"Get to the top?" she murmured worriedly.

When she heard angry voices behind the closed door of the Timeout Room, she cast her fear aside and took off.

**Fade Out.**

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Cemetery - Same Time**

Faith had been patrolling for hours but hadn't encountered much demon-wise, which was actually a good thing since she'd been very preoccupied the entire time. She couldn't help thinking about what Willow had said. As she walked past a large mausoleum, she stopped for the umpteenth time and distractedly ran her hand through her hair.

_Maybe she's right_, she thought._ Maybe I am a disaster waitin' to happen._

_Don't exactly have a stunning track record. Specially not with Buffy._

_Just kept screwin' things up. Didn't want to, but I couldn't help it, couldn't seem to stop myself. From hurtin' her. From hurtin' myself. From-_

WHAM!

Faith saw stars when her face impacted the stone wall of the mausoleum. She nearly blacked out but somehow managed to avoid falling. Pain streaked through her skull, and she felt blood start dripping down her forehead.

When she turned around, she caught just a glimpse of a male vampire before the first of another slammed into her jaw.

The blow spun her halfway around, and she stumbled face first into the second vampire. He caught her and flipped her and held her arms behind her back.

The first vamp punched her multiple times in the stomach. When he hit her in her side that was still so sore, she cried out, and her legs buckled.

In momentary agony, she tried to curl up or double over, but the vamp holding her wouldn't allow it. He forced her backwards and lifted her toward his fang-filled mouth.

"Hey! Why do you get first bite?" the first vampire complained.

" 'Cause I can," the second one said.

Before he could resume his bite, the first vamp rushed forward to claim the slayer for himself. What he got was Faith's boots in his chest, which knocked him to the ground several yards away.

When Faith's feet hit the ground, she instantly did a reverse head butt on the vamp holding her. The impact almost made her see stars again, but she didn't let it slow her down. When her captor started staggering backwards, she freed her arms and whipped out her stake. Before he could recover, she sank the stake into his heart.

While that one's dust was still flying, she whirled around and staked the other vamp in the chest as he rushed her from behind. Her momentum almost took her to the ground, but she caught herself and stayed on her feet.

She did bend over at the waist, grimacing and groaning until the pain in her ribs subsided enough for her to straighten up. She used the back of her hand to wipe at the blood streaming into her eyes, but more just poured from the gaping gash in her forehead.

"Shit," she said as she looked at her blood-covered hand.

She made a quick glance at the pockets of her jacket, but she knew she didn't have so much as a bandana in any of them. When she saw blood dripping all down the front of her jacket and t-shirt, she swore again and pressed her palm against the wound, hoping to staunch the blood flow somewhat.

"Fuckin' head wounds," she griped. "Why ya always gotta bleed so fuckin' much?"

Keeping pressure on the wound with one hand and holding her stake in the other, she began limping her way toward the cemetery's exit.

**Cut To:**

**Cemetery Street - Minutes Later**

When Faith got out of the cemetery, she stopped on the sidewalk, debating her options. Get stitches at the E.R., which was at least two miles away? Or scrounge for bandages at Buffy's house, which was only a few blocks away?

She would've gone back to her motel room, but her first aid kit had gone up in flames with the rest of her bag on the Greyhound bus, and she hadn't gotten a new one yet.

Weighing her other two options didn't take long, though, because Faith _hated_ hospitals-especially the one she'd spent a good eight months of her life comatose in. It was gonna take a lot more than a gash in her head to make her go back to that place. Besides, she still had the key Buffy had given her. If Buffy's first aid kit was still stashed in the downstairs bathroom, she'd be set.

With her choice made, Faith turned and headed toward Revello Drive.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Minutes Later**

Still holding one hand against the gash on her forehead, Faith quietly let herself in the front door with the key. The first floor appeared unoccupied, so she went directly to the downstairs bathroom. She located Buffy's old first aid kit right where she remembered it being-in the cabinet below the sink.

She pulled out the kit and set it on the vanity, then started digging through it with both hands. When she saw drops of blood landing on the counter and the wood floor, she grabbed the hand towel from its ring and pressed against the gash while she hunted one-handed through the first aid kit. Finally she found what she was looking for-some butterfly bandages. She set them out on the vanity, closed up the kit, and put it back under the cabinet below the sink.

She set the towel aside and washed her hands before opening the bandages and laying them out on the counter beside the sink. Then she turned on the water and soaked one end of the hand towel. After wringing it out, she cleaned up the wound and patted it dry with the other end of the towel.

Before the gash could begin bleeding substantially again, she used one hand to force the middle of the wound closed while using her other to place a butterfly bandage across the two edges of skin. Once the bandage was in place, she pressed it down firmly and then released it. She let out her breath when she saw that it was going to hold. She quickly applied several more of the butterfly bandages until the majority of the gash was effectively sealed.

She dabbed away the last few dribbles of blood, then rinsed the towel again and wiped off the rest of her face and neck. She removed her blue jean jacket, lamenting that she might not be able to get the borrowed item clean before she returned it to the apartment owner. For now she hung it on the knob of the open door. Then she pulled off her blood-stained t-shirt and rested it on the counter, intending to rinse it in the sink.

"Oh my god...you're hurt."

Faith jumped at the voice and whipped around to see Buffy, clad in tank top and boxers, coming through the open door of the bathroom. "Jesus, B! Knock why don't ya?"

"What happened?" Buffy asked in concern as she brushed her fingertips over the wound that Faith had just bandaged.

"It's nothing," Faith said, blushing a bit at the reason for her injury. "Coupla vamps surprised me, that's all."

Buffy's worried eyes moved to Faith's exposed upper body, which still showed the fading scrapes and bruises from the battle with the Hellions. She frowned as she ran her fingers over Faith's stomach and along her side where a large bruise spread over her ribs and disappeared under her bra.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she said, slipping her arms around Faith for a hug.

Though the embrace hurt a bit, she couldn't resist returning it. "Yeah, me too."

Faith knew that she ought to end the hug, but she didn't want to. It felt so good to be in Buffy's arms like this. And when Buffy started to slowly and gently caress her back, Faith found herself doing the same for Buffy.

Soon both slayers could feel their hearts pounding in their chests. Breathing hard, they pulled back and looked into each other's eyes. Suddenly, they brought their mouths together in a crushing kiss. Desire, too long repressed, took over, and they kissed hungrily, desperately, again and again.

As Faith's heart and body sang with elation, her mind plagued her with doubts. She kept hearing Willow's earlier words, "_This fixation she has on you...it_ _isn't__real__...You __destroy__ everything you touch._" Faith stopped the embrace and all but shoved Buffy away from her.

"I can't-I can't do this," Faith told her.

Buffy was confused and hurt. "Why not?"

"Because, because…" Faith stuttered at first, unable to come up with a sufficient answer. Then she pushed past Buffy, grabbed her jacket, and headed out of the bathroom. "Because you're not totally yourself yet," she answered over her shoulder. "You need time for all that to come back, and when it does, you're not gonna be thrilled about bein' with me."

Buffy followed Faith out. "I _am_ myself," she insisted.

"Oh come on, B!" Faith accused as she turned around. "If you were really yourself, you'd gnaw your own arm off before you'd hook up with me!"

"That's...that's not true," Buffy tried to object.

"Isn't it?" Faith countered.

Buffy didn't know what to say. It was true that in the past Buffy had ultimately rejected all of Faith's overtures, for one reason or another.

"Not now..." Buffy offered.

"Not ever," Faith corrected. "Trust me. You'll thank me later." She started to put on the blue jean jacket but then realized she still didn't have a shirt on, and even if she did, the jacket was still splattered with blood. Reluctantly, she turned back around. "You got a shirt I could put on?"

"Yeah, um, sure," Buffy said, still stinging from Faith's withdrawal. She pushed her feelings down and said, "Dawn helped me put up some of my stuff yesterday and today. Can't believe they kept it all. You wanna come upstairs?"

Buffy gestured for Faith to follow her. Faith laid her jacket over the post of the staircase and followed Buffy up the steps.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Buffy's New Room - Moments Later**

Buffy led Faith toward the guest room.

"Wait a minute," Faith said, stopping outside the doorway. "Weren't you in the other room?"

"Yeah, they rearranged while I was gone," Buffy said. When she saw Faith's eyes narrow, she added, "I don't blame them. I was dead. I wasn't supposed to be coming back." She made a rueful smirk and eye roll. "Sometimes I feel like I'm in some sappy soap opera where no one is ever _really_ dead..."

Faith smiled, glad to see Buffy making a joke after their intense encounter.

As they entered the room, Faith lingered before the dresser that faced the short end of the bed, while Buffy headed over to the chest of drawers that faced the long side of the bed.

"Let me see what I've got," Buffy said. "What kind of shirt do you want?" she asked, beginning to skim through the drawers.

"Doesn't matter," Faith answered, taking a quick glance at the stacks of newly unpacked picture frames and knickknacks precariously heaped atop the cluttered dresser. "Tank, tee, whatever ya got."

Buffy held up a faded maroon shirt with a crinkled white number on it. "How about an old jersey?"

"Sounds good."

Buffy closed the drawers, walked over, and handed the shirt to Faith. "Here ya go."

As Faith took the jersey into her hands, she paused and said, "As long as it's something you don't mind losing. At the rate I'm going through clothes, this one might not make it till morning."

Faith waited to see if Buffy would decide to take the shirt back, but Buffy was busy catching onto the fact that Faith intended to return to patrol.

"You're going back out?" Buffy asked worriedly.

"Got to, B. It's why the Council brought me here."

"But...you don't have to push yourself so hard. You're just getting back into the swing of things, and you're still healing. Yes, I _know_ slayers can take a licking and keep on ticking, but we're not invincible. Believe me, I know." She reached up and gently trailed her fingertips along Faith's bruised jaw line. "I just... I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you..." With a sad exhale, she leaned against Faith and slipped her arms around the dark slayer, pulling her close.

With the jersey still in her hand, Faith returned the hug, once again luxuriating in the sense of joy she felt at the embrace. She knew she shouldn't doing it, but it felt so good, so right, even though it scared the hell out of her.

Buffy began caressing the bare skin of Faith's back. When she felt Faith's breath quicken, she pulled back just enough to whisper in Faith's ear.

"Don't go," she told her.

Then she pulled back more so that she could look into Faith's eyes.

"Stay here," she pleaded. "With me."

Faith didn't answer; instead, she simply stared, her gaze going back and forth between Buffy's mouth and Buffy's eyes. After a moment, she lowered her gaze and said, "Come on, B..._please_...I'm tryin' to do the right thing here..."

Buffy lifted Faith's chin until they were eye to eye again. "You are."

As the blonde slowly moved in for another embrace, Faith mirrored her actions until the two slayers were mere millimeters away from kissing.

Before their lips could touch, though, a burst of magic suddenly blasted them apart. Buffy was flung against the end of the bed while Faith was slammed against the dresser. An avalanche of knickknacks crashed loudly to the floor.

"What the-?" Faith started to ask before turning toward the open doorway and seeing a black-eyed, powered-up Willow glaring back at her. The Fury, unseen by those present, hovered behind the angry witch.

"Willow? What are you doing?" Buffy asked, getting back to her feet.

"What's the matter with you?" Faith accused.

Willow pointed at Faith and growled, "I _told_ you to stay away from Buffy."

"What's going on?" Dawn asked groggily as she and Tara peeked in from the hallway, drawn there by the noise. Dawn's eyes widened when she took in the sight of a shirtless Faith standing near the end of Buffy's bed.

Just then Guardian Angel Joyce appeared in the room. She had her back to the group and appeared rather disoriented when she turned around. Her gaze went to Willow when she heard the redhead's voice.

"I _warned_ you..." Willow was telling Faith when Joyce's eyes fell on the Fury, whispering urgently in the witch's ear.

"No..." Joyce called out in fear as she began to move in Willow's direction.

"Oh yeah?" Faith replied in a taunt to Willow. She bent over to pick up the jersey she had dropped, then turned and pointed back at the furious redhead. "Well, you're not the boss of m-"

CRACK!

Like a massive bolt of lightning, Willow's magic hit Faith square in the chest and blasted her right through the guest bedroom's dormer window. The force of the blow was so powerful that Faith didn't even hit the sloping roof beyond the window. She cleared the roof entirely, crashed through the limbs of the tree beyond it, and then disappeared into the darkness.

_**TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 14...**_


	14. Chapter 14

**FOLLOW YOUR HEART**

**DragonWriter17**

**PART 14**

**Fade In:**

**Summers Home - Buffy's New Room - Resume**

Joyce watched in pain as Buffy screamed Faith's name and ran to the broken window. She saw her daughter search the darkness in vain, unable to see where Faith had landed. When Buffy turned from the window and tore off in a run, Joyce grasped the amulet Osiris had given her and absorbed its power. Then she whipped around and faced the Fury, who was still standing behind Willow but was now laughing maniacally and jumping up and down with glee. Joyce let out a roar and rushed the Fury. Unseen by the others, the two unearthly beings fell into a screeching body tangle. When the Fury managed to free itself and tried to flee to the ethereal plane, Joyce followed right after.

As soon as the Fury disappeared, Willow's exultant expression fell away. She blinked several times, and her eyes changed from black to their normal green. As she slowly realized what she'd just done, horror came over her face.

Tara shot her an accusing look before taking off after Buffy. Dawn just shook her head in confusion and shock and followed after Tara.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Front Lawn - Seconds Later**

Buffy ran out of the front door and flew down the front steps. As soon as she cleared the porch, she started scanning the yard for where Faith might have landed. She saw the slayer lying on the ground beneath the towering palm tree near the bottom of the driveway. She ran to her and knelt beside her.

In the faint light of the distant street lamps, Buffy could see that Faith was out cold and unmoving, sprawled awkwardly on her back just a few feet from the base of the palm tree. Inexplicably, she still had the maroon jersey clutched tightly in her fist.

"Faith! Faith!" Buffy called out, trying to rouse the dark slayer. But Faith didn't respond. "Noooo...god, no..."

Tara and Dawn arrived seconds later. Tara knelt on the other side of Faith and began checking the slayer's pulse and breathing.

Dawn glanced at Faith, then back at the demolished window on the second floor. She looked at the upper part of the tree in front of the porch, where a sizeable limb had been ripped off, and then at the limb itself, which now lay several yards beyond the hedges, along with pieces of the broken window and its frame. Her eyes followed the scattering of leaves and branches that trailed across the yard toward the palm tree. Finally she looked high into the palm tree itself at the fresh abrasion in the bark of the upper trunk where Faith must have hit before tumbling to the ground.

Oh my god..." she said, realizing just how far Faith had gone and how hard she must have landed.

Tara turned to Dawn and said, "Go inside and call 911. Tell them Faith fell, and she's not conscious. Go!"

As Dawn took off to make the call, Willow hesitantly approached. Tears were streaming down the redhead's face.

"Oh, god, she's bleeding..." Buffy cried when she glimpsed blood on the grass beneath Faith's body. She looked up at Tara, "We have to do something, we have to-"

"No!" Tara ordered when Buffy went to lift the slayer. "We can't move her. It might hurt her more. But we can keep her warm. We need blankets."

Buffy leapt up and dashed inside, ignoring Willow's presence on the sidewalk. Seconds later, she was back with the afghan from the couch and another blanket from the coat closet. She helped Tara place them over Faith's body. Then she worriedly touched Faith's face as if pleading with her to wake up, to somehow be okay.

Finally daring to approach, Willow cried out, "I'm so sorry. I-"

Buffy stopped her with a scathing glare. "Don't you _dare_ come close to her," she warned. "I mean it. Just stay the hell away from her!"

Sobbing even more, Willow backed away. Then she turned and re-entered the house, passing Dawn on the way, who was hurrying over to the others.

"They said the ambulance was just a few blocks away," Dawn informed them. "There it is!" she added when she saw the lights flashing down the street.

Within minutes, the EMTs arrived on the scene, assessed Faith's condition, and got her immobilized for transport. Just as the EMT in the back was about to close the door so that the driver could pull away, Buffy leapt into the vehicle. When the man started to object, she cut him off.

"I'm _not_ leaving her," Buffy informed him.

The look on blonde's face scared the shit out of him, so he just slammed the door and called out to the driver, "Go!"

After watching the ambulance pull away, Dawn picked up the maroon jersey that the EMTs had removed from Faith's grasp when they'd strapped her onto the ambulance's gurney. "God, Tar...what's going on?" she said as she turned to the witch. "I don't understand..."

Tara pulled Dawn into a fierce hug. "I don't know, Sweetie, but we'll figure it out, I promise." She separated them but held onto Dawn's arms and looked her in the eyes. "I know you have issues with Faith, but you need to put them aside for a while, okay? Whether we like it or not, Buffy is very attached to her right now, and she needs our support."

Dawn nodded solemnly. Then the two of them headed back inside the house.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Living Room - Moments Later**

Willow was pacing the floor when Tara and Dawn entered. She turned around and faced them.

"How-How is she?" she asked.

"Do you care?" Dawn shot back.

"Dawnie, why don't you go get dressed and then pack a bag for your sister?" Tara suggested. "I'm sure she'll want to change into some real clothes later."

Dawn did as Tara told her, but not before glaring at Willow. Soon Tara was alone in the room with her girlfriend.

"We don't know," she said in answer to Willow's question. "She's alive. For now. But beyond that..." She merely shook her head as a finish.

"Oh god..." Willow cried, sinking onto the sofa. "What have I done? What have I done? I'm _so_ sorry, Tara...so sorry..."

"I know you are, Will, and that's good. You have a lot to be sorry about. But you're gonna have to deal on your own for a while. I need to be there for Faith and Buffy right now. Dawn will be coming with me, but _you_ need to stay here. _Don't _show up at the hospital. Now's not the time."

"But...w-w-what can I do? There must be something I can do," Willow pleaded.

"Call Xander and Anya, tell them where we are." When Willow nodded, Tara added, "And pray, Will. For god's sake, pray. I'll be back as soon as I can."

**Cut To:**

**Ethereal Plane - Same Time**

Joyce and the Fury were still in mid-fight, and both were bruised and bloodied. They violently clashed once again, but it was clear by her amulet's fading glow that Joyce was beginning to tire. As the two circled one another, the Fury began to laugh.

"Useless Guardian with borrowed power," it taunted, "you are too late! Already the slayer's life drains from her body, and closer does her soul slide to the fires of hell!"

Joyce's face lit up in alarm. "No..." she cried before abandoning her battle with the Fury and blipping away.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Hospital - Emergency Room - Seconds Later**

When Joyce materialized in the area where Faith was being worked on, she found the doctor and several nurses running around the gurney, taking emergency measures.

"Heart rate's spiking again," a nurse warned. When the beeps from the monitor became so rapid that they almost formed a single tone, she yelled, "She's gonna crash!"

As another nurse whipped the crash cart into place, the doctor took the paddles, gelled them up, and shouted, "Clear!"

Faith's body jerked slightly as he applied the shock.

"No effect," the nurse called out. "Rate's over 270 now...becoming erratic..."

Joyce rushed to the gurney and placed both of her hands on Faith's chest. Then she started sending energy from Ozzie's amulet into the slayer's body.

"Charging...charging..." cried the doctor as he prepared to deliver an even stronger jolt. "Clear!"

Just as the second electrical shock was delivered to Faith's heart, there was an unseen flash of light, and the last of Joyce's borrowed power left her. Now spent, the angel slumped to the floor.

The doctor and the nurses waited breathlessly for the few seconds it took for Faith's heart to reset itself. When the monitor began beeping in the familiar but slower buh-bump, buh-bump pattern, the group let out the collective breath they'd been holding.

"Normal sinus rhythm restored," the nurse announced.

"Okay, let's get her to the imaging room," the doctor ordered.

As the doctor and nurses started wheeling Faith away, a battered Osiris blipped into the room.

"Joyce!" he cried out as he knelt beside the exhausted guardian.

As he pulled her into his arms, she came to. "Faith..." she called out weakly.

Ozzie stared off into the hallway as if psychically checking something. Then he turned back to Joyce. "She's out of danger," he said, "and I'm taking you back."

Joyce tried to get up. "No...the Fury...I have to-"

"Joyce, you can't," he gently told her. "You haven't the strength, and neither do I. We must return."

Allowing no further argument, Osiris lifted Joyce into his arms and stood, then transported them both back to heaven.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Hospital - E.R. Waiting Room - Minutes Later**

Tara and Dawn hurried into the waiting area and scanned the room.

"There she is," Dawn said, pointing toward the far corner, where Buffy was anxiously pacing. They headed in that direction. When they got closer, Dawn called out to her sister.

When Buffy turned around and saw them, she initially appeared relieved, but then her eyes narrowed, and she searched the area behind the two girls.

"Where's Willow? Is she with you?" the slayer demanded, her hands tightening into fists. "I'm going to-"

"She's not," Dawn quickly interjected, trying to calm her sister. "Tara made her stay home," she added as she set down the overnight bag she'd been carrying.

"Good...that's good...because I _realllly_ can't see her right now," Buffy said, still clenching her fists.

Tara hung her head in that 'shame by proxy' reaction that people experience when their significant others have done something bad.

"I don't understand!" Buffy went on. "Why did she do that? Faith wasn't doing anything wrong. She was just...just...standing there. She wasn't threatening anyone." Tears began rolling down the slayer's cheeks. "I don't care what Faith's done in the past...she didn't deserve that..."

Dawn reached over and touched her sister's arm before asking, "Have you heard anything yet?"

Buffy wiped the tears from her face and shook her head. "No, but in the ambulance, it...it didn't look good..." She covered her mouth with her hand, unable to hold back the sob that was at the back of her throat.

Dawn pulled her sister into a hug. Although she was still suspicious of Buffy's attachment to Faith, she did what she could to comfort her sister. "She's a slayer," she reminded her. "She's strong, you know that. She'll be okay."

As Dawn and Buffy pulled out of their hug, Tara lifted her head and met their gaze. "I'm, um, I-I-I'm gonna go call Dr. Raine. Okay? I-I-I think she should know. I'll be right back."

At that, Tara scurried away to find a pay phone.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Hospital - Hallway Near E.R. - Moments Later**

As Tara came out of the waiting room's double doors and into the hospital proper, she spotted a pair of pay phones in a small alcove next to the vending area. She hurried over and pulled out her pocketbook. Retrieving a pre-paid calling card and a slip of paper with Dr. Raine's number on it, she quickly went through the sequence of numbers required to place the call. After a few rings, someone picked up.

"Hello?" answered the British-accented voice.

"Dr. Raine? Hi, um...this is Tara, Tara Maclay from Sunnydale?"

"Oh, yes, of course. What can I do for you, dear?"

"I-I-I know it's late, but...Faith's been hurt, She's in the hospital. It...it c-c-could be bad. We really don't know yet."

"Good Lord!" Dr. Raine replied. "What happened?"

Tara paused before answering. She couldn't bear to put into words what Willow had done; plus she knew that Dr. Raine hadn't yet been informed of Buffy's return. "It's complicated," she said. "I-I-I don't think I can explain it over the phone."

"You can explain when I get there, then," Dr. Raine said. "I'll leave immediately. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Good," Tara said. "Thanks."

After hanging up the receiver, Tara leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, taking a moment to whisper a prayer to the Goddess.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Hospital - E.R. Waiting Room - Same Time**

After Tara had left to make her phone call, Dawn had led Buffy over to a padded bench where they could both sit down. Despite the warmness of the earlier hug Buffy had shared with her younger sister, the slayer had immediately withdrawn into herself, leaving Dawn feeling alone and unneeded once again.

Dawn hated feeling this way. She wanted to blame Buffy or Faith or Willow or somebody, _anybody_. She just needed to find some strand of sense or reason in all of this. She knew that Buffy was fragile and really didn't need to be grilled, but Dawn's need to understand finally made her break the uncomfortable silence.

"Buffy?" Dawn asked nervously. "Can I ask you something?"

Buffy hesitantly looked over at her sister. "Ummm...I guess."

"You promise you won't get mad?"

"Right now I can't promise anything, but...I'll try. How's that?"

Dawn nodded then steeled herself. "What's going on with you and Faith?" she asked. "I mean, you were mortal enemies before-with good reason-and now she's...shirtless in your bedroom in the middle of the night."

Buffy gave her sister an intense glare of warning but said nothing.

"I'm not bashing Faith," Dawn immediately clarified. "I swear. I'm just...confused. I don't understand what's happening. The last time she was here in Sunnydale, you were ready to rip her head off for what she did to Mom. But since she's been back...since you've been back..." Dawn sadly dropped her gaze to her lap. "...I think she's gotten more hugs than I have."

Dawn's last statement instantly made Buffy's glare disappear. She glanced away and swallowed hard, her chin beginning to tremble. She couldn't deny the accusation; she knew it was true. She'd shown more genuine affection toward Faith than she had toward her own sister. As her eyes filled with tears, Buffy made herself turn back around. "You're right, and I'm sorry..." she said as she tugged her sister into a sincere hug. "...I'm _so_ sorry. I'm trying, I am..."

Dawn began to cry, too, and hugged Buffy even tighter. "I know you are, I know..." After a moment, she pulled away and held her sister's arms. "But you don't have to keep things from me. I'm not a little kid anymore. You can tell me the truth. I won't break." She looked into Buffy's eyes and waited.

Buffy held the eye contact for a few seconds then looked away again. But she did attempt to answer Dawn's earlier question. "I'm not sure I know what the truth is."

"But there _is_ something going on, right?" Dawn pressed.

_I __want__ there to be_, Buffy thought to herself, but she couldn't bring herself to say the words aloud to Dawn. She was saved from actually answering by Tara's return from the pay phone.

"Did you get her?" Buffy asked when the blonde sat down across from her and Dawn.

Tara nodded. "She's on her way."

"Good. That's good," Buffy said with forced evenness. She wasn't sure how to feel about the prospect of this unknown watcher coming to town. She knew that Faith liked and respected the woman, but Buffy had learned the hard way that the Council shouldn't be blindly trusted. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "Does Dr. Raine know I'm back?"

"No, we haven't told her yet," Tara answered. "Faith asked us to wait. She didn't want the Council descending on you while you were still adjusting."

Buffy smiled at that. It was such a thoughtful gesture-just another indication of how much Faith had changed. "Probably a good idea," she replied. "If they send another group of jackasses like they did during that Glory fiasco, I'm going to hurt somebody for real this time."

Just then, Xander and Anya entered the E.R. and rushed over to the group.

"Tara, what's going on?" Xander worriedly asked. "Willow called and said Faith was in the hospital. She was crying so hard I could barely understand her. What happened?" He glanced around the waiting area. "And where's Will?"

Tara cast a quick look in Buffy's direction before saying, "You guys better sit down. This might take a while."

As Xander and Anya sat, Buffy stood up. Not wanting to hear a recap of the night's events, especially Willow's part in it, she announced, "I'm gonna take a walk, maybe check in with the nurse again." She didn't wait for a response; she just strode away.

Then Tara and Dawn began telling Xander and Anya everything that had happened.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Hospital - E. R. Waiting Area - A Short Time Later**

By the time Tara and Dawn got to the end of the story, Xander had a shell-shocked look on his face.

"I think I better sit down," he said.

"You already did," Anya reminded him.

"Oh. Good." He thought for a minute and then said, "So, what do we do? I mean, how do we-?" He stopped and raked his fingers through his hair. "God, this is messed up. She was just at the shop helping me and An clean up the place."

Anya nodded sadly. "And I didn't even have to pay her."

"I wanted to be mad at her, I tried to be mad at her," Xander went on, "I mean, I should've been mad at her, she tried to kill me before, but...she seemed so sincere..." He scrubbed his hands over his face. "Arggghh...now I don't know what to think."

"Look, I know Willow is kinda the bad guy here," Tara said to Xander and Anya, "but I'm really worried about her. Would you guys go with me to check on her? Maybe stay with her for a while?"

Xander glanced at Anya and then nodded back at Tara. "Sure. We can do that."

Tara turned to Dawn. "Take care of Buffy?"

"I will," Dawn assured her.

Tara, Xander, and Anya got up and headed for the admissions desk, where Buffy was finally getting a report from the nurse.

"Any news?" Tara asked.

Buffy shook her head. "They're still working on her. That's all they'll tell me."

"But she's alive," Xander noted. "I mean, they wouldn't still be working on her if she was-" He cleared his throat and went on. "Which she's not gonna be, of course."

Buffy nodded in gratitude for Xander's attempt at optimism.

"Buffy," Tara said, "we're going back to the house for a little while, but I'll be back before Dr. Raine arrives, I promise."

Knowing that Tara was going to see Willow, Buffy clenched her jaw several times, but she made no comment other than a tightly stated, "Okay."

As Buffy walked back to where Dawn was waiting, Tara and the others quickly exited the emergency room.

**Cut To:**

**The Summers Home - Minutes Later**

WhenTara, Xander, and Anya entered the house, they didn't see Willow in the living room. They called out to her, but got no response from the kitchen or dining room, so the three headed upstairs.

As they neared the master bedroom, they heard Willow inside, seemingly yelling at someone. "Shut up! Stop talking! I don't want to hear you anymore!"

They creaked the door open and found Willow pacing inside, holding her fists over her ears, though there was no one else in the room with her.

At least no one they could see. The Fury was back in place behind the redhead, whispering evil things to her.

"Shut up," Willow said again, this time beginning to sob. "Please..." she begged before sinking onto the end of the bed.

Tara gestured for Xander and Anya to stay back for the time being; then she cautiously approached Willow.

"Sweetie," Tara said softly, "who're you talking to?"

Still sobbing, Willow grabbed for Tara's hands, pulling her down to kneel in front of her, "Tara, thank god...please make it stop...please make it stop..."

Concerned, Tara asked, "Stop what, Baby?"

"The voice."

"Whose voice?"

"Mine," Willow wailed. "It won't stop...it won't stop..."

Willow doubled over, crying. Tara hugged her and stroked her back. "It's gonna be okay," she crooned to her, "it's gonna be okay..."

Tara made brief eye contact with Xander and Anya, who were looking as alarmed as Tara was. Xander and Anya then looked at each other. They turned back, though, when they heard Tara begin to sing.

It was a soft, beautiful melody in a language they didn't recognize. They noticed that Willow's cries lessened as the song went along. In fact, Willow eventually sat up and looked right at Tara as she sang.

Unseen by the those present, the Fury screamed at both Tara and Willow, but was unable to affect either one of them. With a final screech of rage, the Fury disappeared.

When Tara softly touched Willow's troubled brow, the redhead's eyes began blinking closed. As soon as Tara finished the final line of the song, Willow passed out. Tara caught her and gently laid her back on the end of the bed.

"We're gonna get through this, Baby," she told Willow. "Just rest for now."

After kissing Willow on the forehead, she stood up, closed her own eyes, and took in several long deep breaths to steady herself. When she opened her eyes and looked over at the doorway, though, she saw Xander and Anya crumpled on the floor, dead asleep just like Willow.

Tara rolled her eyes and grumbled, "Crap."

Tara walked over to Xander and Anya and knelt beside them. She leaned over them and whispered a command to them in the language she had sung in.

Immediately, their eyes fluttered open. Both had relaxed and contented looks on their faces. Xander grinned goofily at Tara. As he sat up, he touched her face and said almost drunkenly, "You sing pretty. Sing again."

By then, Anya was awake, and she gave Xander an elbow to the gut. "Snap out of it, Xander."

"Come on," Tara said, helping them to their feet. "Help me get Willow into bed."

After doing that, the three of them left the room and moved down the hallway, away from the open bedroom door.

"What _was_ that?" Xander asked Tara. "What you sang?"

"An Orphic lullaby," Tara answered. "Willow likes for me to sing it for her when she's too wound up to sleep. I put it a little extra whammy on it this time, so it should keep her out for at least several hours."

"Then what?" Anya said. "She was seriously going off the deep end in there."

Xander gave Anya a reprimanding look, but Tara didn't appear to be offended by Anya's bluntness. Instead, she agreed with her.

"I know," Tara said, seemingly trying to put pieces together in her mind. "I mean, I figured she'd be upset, but...something's not right. I can't put my finger on it, but something is _definitely_ not right."

"So, what do we do if she wakes up?" Xander asked.

"Just be with her, talk to her, listen to her," Tara recommended. "And don't take your eyes off her. One of you with her at all times."

"Even in the bathroom?" Anya inquired matter-of-factly but got ignored.

"Do you think she might try to hurt herself?" Xander asked worriedly.

Tara's eyes filled with tears as she gave a rueful shrug. "I don't know. She might. I hope not. I pray not." She wiped her tears away and then said, "I need to get to the hospital. I'll be back after Dr. Raine gets here."

"We'll take care of Will," Xander assured her.

After thanking her friends, Tara hurried down the stairs and out the front door. Once she was alone in the car, she finally allowed herself to really cry.

_**TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 15...**_


	15. Chapter 15

**FOLLOW YOUR HEART**

**By DragonWriter17**

A/N: Sorry I'm so late with the updating. I'm finally on summer vacation and can catch up with my writing. Many thanks to my beta reader, Lilly, for her invaluable help and unwavering support.

**PART 15**

**Fade In:**

**Sunnydale Hospital - E.R. Waiting Room - A Short Time Later**

As much as she'd wanted to, Dawn hadn't been able to resume the 'Faith' conversation with her sister, mainly because the slayer wouldn't be still long enough. Still clad in her tank top and boxers, Buffy had been pacing the slick-tiled aisles between the rows of benches and chairs in the sparsely populated waiting room.

Buffy stopped her pacing, though, when she saw Tara enter the waiting room. She clenched her jaw and stared, knowing that Tara had just visited Willow, the person responsible for sending Faith to the hospital in the first place. She knew it wasn't Tara's fault, but she couldn't seem to detach her 'furious at Willow' feelings from Tara. So she deliberately turned away and walked to the opposite corner, feigning interest in the television mounted on the wall.

Buffy's actions didn't go unnoticed by either Tara or Dawn. As Dawn crossed the room, she saw a hurt expression cross Tara's face. When she finally reached the blonde, she could tell that Tara had been crying prior to her arrival at the E.R.

"How is she?" Dawn asked.

"Not good," Tara said, new tears filling her eyes. "She was hysterical. I had to put her to sleep."

Dawn's expression became horrified. "Like a _dog_?" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"No! Of course not!" Tara answered. "I cast a sleeping spell on her."

Dawn blushed in embarrassment. "Oh. Sorry. Been clocking _way_ too many hours of _Animal Cops_ lately."

Tara wiped away her tears and went on. "She was so upset. So distraught. Almost like she was-" She paused to think of the right word. She wanted to say 'possessed,' but she knew it wasn't quite right.

Dawn wrapped her arms around the witch. "She'll be okay, Tar. You'll see."

"I hope so, Dawnie," Tara said, returning the hug. "I hope so."

**Fade To:**

**Sunnydale Hospital - E. R. Waiting Room - A Couple of Hours Later **

Buffy was rapidly losing her patience with the staff of the emergency room. After getting yet another "when we know something, you'll know something" response, she was seconds away from storming the triage area. As Dawn was trying to calm her down, the family members of another patient passed by them, giving Buffy very strange looks.

Buffy glared at them, and they all quickly looked away before finding seats on the far side of the waiting room.

"What do they think they're looking at?" Buffy griped. "I'm _upset_. Nothing unusual about that. No need to give me the _freak-show_ stare!"

"It's not that you're upset," Dawn matter-of-factly informed her. "It's that you're crushing solid steel with your bare hands." She tilted her head toward the horizontal bar set in the wall to assist patients in walking down the hallway.

Buffy looked down at her right hand. When she saw it wrapped around the now-contorted metal bar, she quickly yanked it away, managing to look a little guilty for her slayer-strength slip-up.

Dawn wasn't finished, though. She gave her sister an exaggerated up-and-down lookover. "Plus, there's the fact that you're doing it in your _underwear_."

"What?" Buffy shot back. Then she looked down at her silky boxers and barely-there tank top. "Oh." She tried to cover herself with her arms while making an embarrassed glance about the room.

"I told you an hour ago that I brought you some clothes to change into," Dawn said in a long-suffering tone. Then she pointed at the overnight bag sitting on a nearby chair.

"Oh. I guess I didn't...Right. Going now."

As Buffy sheepishly grabbed her bag and slunk off toward the bathroom, Dawn walked over to where Tara was doing some pacing glancing at her watch and peering out of the large glass window beside the entrance.

"Tara, if you want to check on Willow, just go. We'll be fine. I know you're worried about her."

"No, i-i-it's okay," Tara said. "I wanna wait till Dr. Raine gets here. Really, I'm fine. No, wait...maybe this is her."

Tara left the window and moved to the entrance. When she saw an older woman in a long trench coat hurrying through the automatic doors, she rushed to meet her.

"Dr. Raine?"

"Yes. Miss Maclay?"

"Yes. N-N-Nice to meet you. I-I-In person, I mean." When the doctor looked in Dawn's direction, Tara made introductions. "Oh, um...this is Dawn. Dawn Summers."

"Ah, the erstwhile Key," Dr. Raine commented in her British accent.

Dawn smiled and shrugged. "Hopefully erstwhile."

Dr. Raine then turned back to Tara. "Now, Miss Maclay, I believe you have some explaining to do."

Dawn giggled and nudged Tara with her elbow. "You sound like you're getting scolded at school. Or-or on the _I Love Lucy_ Show." Dawn put on her best Desi Arnaz impersonation and said, " 'Lucy, you got some splaining to do...' "

Raine and Tara just gave her a look.

"I'm gonna be quiet now," said the teen.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Hospital - E. R. Waiting Room - Moments Later **

After changing her clothes, Buffy returned to the waiting area. As she dropped her bag back on its chair, she noticed Dawn and Tara talking to a stranger. With her slayer hearing, she could hear Tara telling the woman about Willow's attack on Faith, so she hurried over.

"Hey," Buffy said as she joined the group. "Is this Faith's watcher?"

Dr. Raine did a double-take and then gaped. "Good Lord!" she exclaimed. "The resemblance is uncanny. If Quentin hadn't informed me of your 'robotic slayer,' I'd swear it was the real Buffy Summers standing here."

"That's because it _is_ the real Buffy Summers standing here," Buffy insisted.

Dr. Raine turned and smiled at Tara and Dawn. "Remarkable! Her voice sounds completely human."

Buffy looked around the older woman and made eye contact with Tara. "I take it you haven't gotten to the 'oh, by the way, we raised Buffy from the dead' part?" After an apologetic wince from Tara, Buffy turned back to Dr. Raine, who was now staring for a different reason. "Okay, let's go ahead and get this over with." She stuck out her hand for a shake. "Hi, I'm Buffy. You must be Dr. Raine. Nice to meet you."

The doctor mechanically returned the handshake. "But you're supposed to be..."

"...dead. Yeah."

Dr. Raine's initial shock instantly transformed into a quest for knowledge. "But how?" she inquired. "A modified golem incantation? The Chinese ritual of jiang shi? The-"

Buffy held up her hands to Dr. Raine in a whoa gesture. "Good questions, bad time," she told her. "Look, I know that a resurrected slayer's gotta be amping up your watcher need-to-know instinct to, like, I don't know, curiosity on crack, but me first, okay? Can you _please_ check on Faith? I've tried and tried, and Nurse Ratched over there won't tell me a thing."

Despite the blonde slayer's attempt at levity, Dr. Raine could see the intense worry in her eyes. She felt ashamed that she had permitted her own worry to become so easily sidetracked. "Of course...please forgive me," she said solemnly. "I shouldn't have allowed my curiosity to get the best of me." She took off her long coat and laid it over a nearby chair. Underneath she was wearing the traditional white smock of a physician. "Perhaps I'll have better luck," she told the girls.

Dr. Raine walked over to the front desk and pulled a small card wallet from her pocket. She flipped it open to her driver's license and showed it to the admitting nurse.

"I believe you'll find me in your staff listing," she informed the woman. "I was scheduled to begin next week, but I arrived early."

When she heard the British accent, the nurse eyed her skeptically but consulted her computer. "Huh," she said in surprise when she found Dr. Raine's name in the list of doctors.

"I'm here to check on a patient of mine who was admitted earlier. Faith Lehane. Could you please tell me where I can find her?"

The nurse tapped out a few more things on her keyboard. "She's in O.R. #3. It's-"

"Thank you, dearie!" the doctor called over her shoulder, not waiting for directions. She just headed straight into the treatment area.

**Cut To:**

**Heaven - Palace of the Powers-That-Be - Same Time**

Joyce and Osiris were in an antechamber, waiting anxiously for Laran to return. As Joyce paced the room, Osiris was trying to soothe her.

"What is taking so long?" Joyce complained. "I need to go back and check on Buffy and Faith!"

"At least we didn't get sent back to Timeout," he offered. "At least the Powers are finally listening."

"By the time they decide to actually do something, it could be too late. Our enemies could be moving against the girls as we speak!" She stopped pacing for a moment and let her shoulders slump. "I don't know what I think I could possibly do to help. The Fury was right. I'm useless."

"You're not useless. You've made a difference," Osiris assured her. "In fact, _you are_ the difference here. If you hadn't asked me to examine their timelines, we never would have discovered the deliberate sabotage to their relationship. And if we hadn't discovered that and then helped Buffy go back, Faith would be dead now. Plus, you're the one who got to her in the hospital in time..."

"Yes, but I wouldn't have without your help," Joyce said gratefully. "And if you hadn't lent me your amulet, I wouldn't have been able to save her. Thank you." Then she let out a heavy sigh. "I just hope it was enough..."

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Hospital - Hallway - Later**

Dr. Raine had just finished consulting Faith's charts and speaking with the attending doctor and the nurses who had first treated the slayer. Now she was heading back toward the emergency room. Burdened by the knowledge she'd gained, she paused in the hallway before entering the waiting area.

_I shouldn't have sent her on alone_, she accused herself. _I should have waited. Dear god..._

She lowered her head and closed her eyes, massaging her forehead for a moment. When she lifted her head, there was a sad and heavy resignation in her eyes.

_This is on me_, the watcher thought. _Whatever happens now, it's on me_.

She drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Then she headed for the doorway to the emergency room waiting area.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Hospital - E. R. Waiting Room - Continuous**

Buffy rushed over as soon as she saw the grim-looking Dr. Raine come into the room.

"Dr. Raine! How is she? How's Faith?"

"She's still in surgery and should be out shortly," the doctor answered. "She's stable. For now. But...there are concerns. Serious ones."

Dawn and Tara instinctively moved closer to Buffy as the doctor continued.

"She did suffer an instance of v-fib which required defibrillation."

Buffy shook her head in confusion. "I don't know what that means."

"She had an extremely rapid heart beat that nearly caused her heart to fail. A shock had to be administered to get her heart back into its normal rhythm."

"Y-Y-You mean, she died? Flatlined?" Tara asked.

"No, her heart didn't actually stop completely, but it nearly did. It's likely that the irregular rhythm was caused by the magic blast she received."

An image of Willow's attack flashed in Buffy's mind. She saw the bright white arc of energy leave Willow's hand and strike Faith in the chest, saw Faith's body fly backwards and crash through the window. Buffy clenched her fists and closed her eyes until the image went away. Then she opened her eyes and focused on the doctor again.

"Although not exactly the same," Dr. Raine was saying, "it would have been similar to being struck by lightning or being electrocuted by a live power line. The normal electrical impulses of her heart were disrupted. When her heart received the second, controlled shock, it was essentially reset."

"Was her heart damaged by all of this? Like permanently?" Dawn asked.

"No, her heart's fine now."

"Then why is she still in surgery?" Buffy asked, with hints of panic in her voice. "What else is wrong? Something else is wrong."

Dr. Raine let out a weary sigh. "It's her back. A portion of her lower spine has been fractured and dislocated."

"She broke her back?" Dawn asked in alarm.

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

"Oh god..." Buffy said, beginning to cry. Dawn and Tara reached out to support her.

"Is she going to be paralyzed?" Tara made herself ask.

"We don't know yet," Dr. Raine answered. "The orthopedic surgeon is working on her now-realigning her spine and stabilizing it with metal rods in order to remove the pressure on the spinal cord. We won't know the extent of the damage to her nervous system until she wakes up. And that's what worries me most...that she may not wake up."

"What?" Buffy asked, wiping at the tears on her face. "What are you saying?"

"There's been some bleeding and swelling of the brain. And, as you know, she's had a traumatic brain injury in the past."

Dr. Raine had said the last gently, without accusation. Still, Buffy couldn't avoid feeling that stab of guilt in her heart.

"Any head injury that results in unconsciousness, particularly in a slayer," Dr. Raine went on, "is cause for concern, but when those injuries happen in succession, especially in a short period of time, it's quite dangerous. If we consider her previous coma and add her recent injuries to the ones that she received tonight, it, um...well, it-it-it doesn't bode well, frankly."

Buffy stood shell-shocked as the news sank in. "No...no..." She stumbled back into a chair and began to sob. Tara and Dawn slipped in on each side of her.

As the two girls tried to comfort the distraught slayer, Dr. Raine watched the scene curiously. Given the slayers' antagonistic past, she would not have expected such an emotional response from Miss Summers. Then she remembered Faith's reaction to Buffy's death.

_Perhaps the two have made their peace_, she thought. _Then again, perhaps there's more to their history than anyone knows_.

When Buffy had gotten her crying under control, she rose to her feet and approached the doctor. "I wanna see her. I can do that, can't I?"

"Of course you can, dear," Dr. Raine said, giving the slayer's arm a squeeze. "It will be a little while yet, though. Once she's out of surgery and recovery, she'll be moved to a private room in the ICU. That's when you'll be able to see her. I'll get you in as soon as I can, you have my word."

When Buffy nodded, Dr. Raine turned to Tara. "I'd like to talk about the ritual now, the one used to resurrect Miss Summers. I need to know everything about it, especially Miss Rosenberg's role in it. It's possible that there may be a connection between the ritual and the incident that led to Faith's injuries."

"The 'incident'?" Buffy interjected angrily. "It wasn't an 'incident'; it was an _attack_. A totally unprovoked attack." Buffy's voice began to get louder. "Faith was just standing there! She wasn't doing anything wrong, and Willow just-"

"Buffy!" Dawn said, grabbing her sister's arms. "Buffy, look at me." When she finally did, Dawn told her, "You need to calm down." The older girl glanced away again and tried to pull out of her sister's grasp, but Dawn held on. "If you make a scene, you're going to get kicked out of the hospital, and then you won't get to see Faith. Is that what you want?"

Buffy stopped struggling. After a moment, she met her sister's eyes. "No," she answered in a soft voice.

"I know you're upset about what happened to Faith," Dawn said. "We all are-even me, believe it or not-but we gotta stay cool, okay?"

Buffy nodded, and Dawn released her grip. Buffy fidgeted with her hands for a time. Then she asked, "How did you get so grown up?"

"I kinda had to," Dawn replied with a shrug.

Dr. Raine had let the outburst take its course, but now she took the lead again. "Why don't we sit down?" she said, indicating a group of chairs nearby. Once they were all seated, she turned to back to Tara. "Now...the ritual. Start from the beginning."

Tara ducked her head to think for a moment. Then she looked back up.

"Things were hard after Buffy died." She glanced briefly at the blonde. "We missed you, a lot. And-And we didn't have a slayer. Not a real one. Faith was in prison. Buffybot was doing the best she could, but...it just wasn't the same. We knew it was only a matter of time before we came up against something we couldn't handle."

"Like a gang of biker demons," Dawn noted.

"Exactly," Tara said. "Willow was researching more and more magic, trying to find ways we could fight, and one day this summer she came across a resurrection spell, one we'd never seen before, one that might actually work. And we thought, 'Hey, we can bring Buffy back...we can get her out of that hell dimension she went to when she...' "

When Tara didn't finish, Dawn finished for her. "When she died saving me."

Buffy looked at her sister, but Dawn wouldn't meet her eyes. She kept her gaze on Tara, who nodded sadly and then went on.

"But the spell required an artifact that we didn't think we'd ever find. The Urn of Osiris."

Dr. Raine's eyes widened. "You found an actual extant Urn of Osiris?"

"On eBay, of all places," Tara said. "Once we got the Urn, we gathered the rest of the ingredients, a-a-and two nights ago, we did the ritual. It was _so_ scary. Anya and I were just there as anchors. Willow did most of it. What she went through, how she was tested by the spirits...if I'd known, I never would've-"

Tara's voice caught in her throat, and she had to stop. Dawn reached over and touched her arm.

Buffy dropped her gaze to the floor. She hadn't considered what Willow and the others must have gone through to bring her back. She'd been too lost in her own pain. Still, it didn't excuse what Willow had done.

"Anyway," Tara began again, "while we were doing the ritual, those biker demons attacked. They drove right over the Urn, and we thought the spell had failed. But it didn't. It worked, and Buffy came back. We just didn't know that we'd-"

"You'd what, dear?" Dr. Raine prompted when Tara didn't go on.

"That they'd pulled me out of heaven," Buffy answered. "That I hadn't been trapped in Glory's hell dimension."

"Dear Lord..."

Tara gave Dr. Raine a rueful chuckle. "I told you it was complicated."

"Indeed. Indeed you did." Dr. Raine sobered. "This ritual you did...you realize how dangerous it was, don't you?"

"I do now," Tara replied. "I-I-I don't think Willow told me everything about the spell. She never showed me exactly where she found it."

"She probably didn't want you to see it," Dawn speculated, " 'cause you wouldn't have let her do it. I mean, she was ready to just erase parts of Buffy's brain, so-"

"_What_?" Buffy objected.

"When we saw how sad you were at being torn from heaven, she said she knew this spell that could make you forget you were ever there. She said-"

Buffy interrupted with an aggravated growl but couldn't put any of her rage and disgust into actual words.

"She's been having problems...with the magic," Tara reluctantly admitted.

" '_Problems_?' " Buffy shot back. "No, she's out of control."

"I'm inclined to agree," Dr. Raine noted. "But what kind of problems with the magic?"

"She's just been using too much of it...even before she got the idea for the resurrection spell. But since we did the ritual, she's been..._not herself_. I'm really afraid something's seriously wrong. When I went back to check on her, she was so upset that I had to cast a sleeping spell on her. She kept talking about a 'voice' she was hearing."

"Hmmm..." Dr. Raine stared off in thought for a moment. Then she asked, "Where is she now?"

"At home," Tara answered. "Xander and Anya are with her."

"How long will she be under?"

Tara looked at her watch. "A-A-A few more hours probably."

Dr. Raine got to her feet. "I'd like to see her now. Will you take me to her? I'll need to get some things from my car first."

"Sure. We can go in the SUV."

"Wait...y-y-you're just gonna leave?" Buffy accused as she stood to face Dr. Raine. "While Faith is still-"

"Miss Summers...Buffy...there's nothing I can do," Dr. Raine said as gently as she could. "Faith's injuries are beyond my level of expertise. She's in the best possible hands, I promise you."

Buffy wasn't mollified. "Fine," she said in a tight voice. "Go fix Willow. Because when this is over, she and I are going to have a long chat."

At that, Buffy strode away.

Dawn sighed and turned to Dr. Raine. "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on her. Hopefully I can keep her from inflicting any damage on things and people, including myself."

"Good idea," Dr. Raine replied. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Front Yard - Minutes Later**

After exiting the SUV with her satchel, Dr. Raine stopped at the edge of the yard and glanced up at the shattered window on the second floor and the broken tree before it.

"This is where we found her," she heard Tara say. She turned and saw the blonde standing beside a tall palm tree at the front of the yard. She walked over and joined her at its base. The doctor's face creased into a frown when she saw the smears of Faith's blood upon the grass.

"I-I-I've never seen Willow use so much power before, n-n-not even on a demon. I still don't know why she did it. I mean, I know she has good reason to hate Faith, but...I didn't think she could do anything like this. How could this happen?"

"That's what we're here to find out," Dr. Raine told her. "Let's go take a look, shall we?"

As they made their way toward the front door, it opened, and Xander stepped outside. "I thought I heard the car pull up," he said when he saw Tara.

"Xander, i-i-is Willow okay?" Tara asked worriedly as she hurried to the porch.

"She's still sleeping, but not well. Hey," he said as Dr. Raine came up the steps.

"Oh, um, this is Xander. Xander Harris," Tara introduced. "And this is Dr. Raine, Faith's watcher."

Xander shook her hand and smiled. "Must be our lucky night. Can't find a doctor that makes house calls anymore."

"Too true, too true," Dr. Raine said, chuckling, as the three went inside.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Living Room - Continuous**

"How's Faith?" Xander asked the doctor once he had shut the door.

"Stable, but still critical," she answered. "Right now, all we can do is to wait for her to wake up. You said that Miss Rosenberg wasn't sleeping well?"

"Yeah, it only just started," Xander replied. "I was just about to call up to the hospital 'cause it was kinda weird."

"Weird in what way?" she asked as she set her leather bag on the coffee table.

"Just that it came out of the blue. She was sleeping peacefully for hours, and then bam, she was crying and talking in her sleep. We wanted to wake her up 'cause it seemed like she was having a bad dream or something, but then we figured maybe we shouldn't."

"No, no...that shouldn't be happening," Tara insisted. "The spell I used...it puts you out, like really out. She shouldn't even be dreaming."

"What did you use?" Dr. Raine inquired.

"An Orphic lullaby."

"Hmmm...I concur with your assessment, then. The Orphics are known for their potency." Dr. Raine paused and thought for a moment. When she clicked back into focus, she began opening her satchel. "Before we go up and wake her, we should take some precautions..."

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Willow & Tara's Bedroom - Moments Later**

When Tara quietly entered the bedroom, she saw Anya sitting in the chair in the corner. She gave Anya a grateful smile and then tilted her head toward the door to indicate that she should wait outside. Anya nodded back and left the room.

As Tara eased onto the edge of the far side of the bed, she frowned as she saw Willow whimpering and tossing her head back and forth on the pillow.

Unseen by both of them, the Fury had returned and now hovered over Willow's sleeping form. Although still somewhat battered from its fight with Joyce, it continued to hiss lies in Willow's direction.

"It's not right," Tara whispered before turning to face Dr. Raine at the foot of the bed. "Her aura...it's not right."

"What do you see?" Dr. Raine asked.

Tara turned back around and focused her inner eye. "It's...redder and more...frazzled. I don't know how else to describe it."

Dr. Raine mulled this information over for a bit. Then she told Tara to wake Willow up.

As soon as Tara spoke the command, Willow woke up, gasping in fright and confusion. Her face showed immediate relief when she saw Tara, but that soon changed into guilt-ridden distress.

"Oh, Tara...I messed up, I messed up so bad..."

"I know, baby, I know," Tara told her as she caressed her face.

"And the voice...it's still here..."

"The voice?" Tara briefly glanced over her shoulder back at Dr. Raine. "What's the voice telling you, sweetie?"

"That I killed somebody, that I killed Faith..." She sat up and desperately grasped Tara's arm. "But I didn't, did I? Please tell me she's not dead..._please_..."

"She's not, Will, but...i-i-it's bad...her back...it's broken..."

"Oh god, oh god..." Willow cried.

"She'll be okay," Tara instantly assured. "She's strong, a-a-and she's a slayer. Plus, Dr. Raine's here now, and she can help her. She can help _you_."

"That's right, dear," Dr. Raine said gently as she started moving slowly toward Tara. "I only want to help."

Willow finally looked at the woman standing near Tara, only just now noticing her presence. The unseen Fury wrapped one of its bony hands around Willow's throat and pulled its face close to Willow's ear. As she listened, she absently clawed at the invisible fingers around her neck, and her eyes went wide with terror. When the Fury released its grip, Willow started scrambling out of the bed, away from Tara and Dr. Raine.

"No! NO! She's not here to help me...she's here to kill me!"

"Willow, no!" Tara called out.

Once her feet hit the floor between the bed and the door, Willow whipped around with her arm raised, holding a swirling sphere of magic in her fist.

"Stay away from me!" she screamed. Then she hurled the ball of energy directly at Dr. Raine.

Tara instantly raised a shield that deflected Willow's magical blast into the wall, where it took out a sizable chunk of sheetrock and sent dust and debris flying around the room.

By the time Tara could look beyond the bed, she saw Willow dashing through the doorway. She started to scream Willow's name again, but then she heard the recognizable thunk of a tranquilizer dart hitting its target followed by the thud of a body hitting the floor. She and Dr. Raine rushed into the hallway.

They found Xander leaning over Willow, checking her pulse at her neck. They let out a relieved breath when he smiled and gave them a thumbs-up. "She's fine. Out cold, but fine." He looked back at Willow and spoke to her in a teasing tone. "I think somebody's gettin' payback for all those times she had to shoot Oz in the ass."

Tara couldn't help but laugh. "Thank you, Xander."

"The tranquilizer should keep her sedated for several hours," Dr. Raine said to Tara, "but I think we'd better cast the binding spell just the same." Then she turned to Xander. "Mr. Harris, would you do the honors of returning Miss Rosenberg to her bed?"

"Sure thing," Xander said as he began to lift Willow into his arms. "Then what?"

"Then we find out what's influencing her," Dr. Raine said.

"So you think there's an outside force at work, too," Tara said.

"Oh yes," the watcher said with certainty. "She's definitely under the influence of something. The question is what. And why."

**Fade Out.**

**Fade In:**

**Sunnydale Hospital - Cafeteria - Sunrise**

Although it had taken pleading and pouting, bossing and bullying, Dawn had finally managed to convince Buffy to leave the emergency room and go to the cafeteria, which had opened at 6:00 a.m.

As they sat down with their trays of food, Buffy began to grumble about Dr. Raine again.

"I can't believe she's not back yet," she complained. "She's been gone for hours. Faith is probably out of surgery now, and she's not even here to check on her."

"I'm sure she'll be back soon." Dawn leaned toward her sister and looked at her intently. "You get that she has to help Willow, right? I mean, Willow was seriously scary last night, and that's not like her."

"I get it. Okay?" Buffy said. "But I don't have to be happy about it."

After the two sisters had had a chance to start in on their breakfast, Dawn took the opportunity to return to the 'Faith' conversation they had begun the previous night.

"You know...you never did answer my question from before," she noted.

"Yes, I did," Buffy answered. "You said, 'Do you want a milk?' And I said, 'Yes, please.' "

Dawn gave her sister a glare. Buffy slumped in defeat.

"I know," she admitted, keeping her eyes on her cream-cheese-laden blueberry bagel as she poked at it with her plastic knife.

"So...?" Dawn prompted.

Buffy lifted her head. "It's just...you wanted to know if there was something going on between me and Faith, and the problem is...I don't know. I can't speak for Faith. I can only speak for myself. I don't actually know what's happening on her side of the equation."

"Then just tell me what's happening on your side. Because I _know_ something's going on-we all do-we can see it."

"Okaaaaay," Buffy agreed reluctantly. She straightened in her chair and began trying to explain. "Faith and I have always had a special connection. It's...a slayer thing. And when I got resurrected-"

Sensing a hedge-in-progress, Dawn cut her off. "Don't you even _try_ to give me the 'slayer connection' line. You're not acting like it's a 'slayer thing.' You're acting like you're in love with her."

Buffy's mouth dropped open, and she immediately glanced away, confirming her sister's suspicions.

Although Dawn had suspected it, the news still rattled her. "Oh my god...you really think you're in love with her."

Buffy looked back up. "Dawn-"

"How-?" the teen demanded. "How can you-? After what she did to Mom, to you, to all of us?"

"It's not that simp-"

"She killed people, she-"

"Dawn!" Buffy almost had to yell to stop her sister's rant. Then she asked, "Do you want me to explain or not?"

Dawn calmed herself. "Sorry. Yes."

Buffy took a breath and went on. "I do have feelings for Faith. Strong ones. And until this moment, I hadn't even admitted to myself, much less to anyone else, that it was actually love. But I know that it is. And I know it seems weird, like this all came out of nowhere, but it didn't."

"Are you saying that you two were involved? Like before?"

"No...not 'involved'...exactly. It never went that far."

"There was an _it_, though? An actual _it_ between you? Back then?"

"Yes," she said simply.

Dawn shook her head in confusion. "Wait. You were still with Angel then."

Buffy sighed heavily. "Not really. Not anymore. Not with the curse and all."

"But...you still loved him, didn't you?"

"Yes, but I loved Faith, too. Only...I couldn't let go of Angel. So I pushed Faith away. I broke her heart."

"Is that why she went bad?"

Buffy gave a small shrug. "I think it was part of it. Kinda like the last straw."

"But after Faith went bad," Dawn pressed, "that changed everything, right?"

"You mean, did it change how I felt?" At Dawn's nod, Buffy shook her head. "No, it just made everything hurt even more."

"You did move on, though. Angel left town. You met Riley..."

Buffy let her head fall back against her shoulders and groaned, "God, I tried so hard with Riley. I really did." She lifted her head back up. "But...I was just fooling myself. My heart wasn't in it. When Faith came out of her coma, I was hoping that she'd be different, but she wasn't. Not at first. She was hurting so much."

"_She_ was hurting? " Dawn said sharply. "She's the one who hurt everybody. She hurt Mom, remember?"

"Of course, I remember! But...when we switched bodies, I got to see what it was like to be her." Buffy felt her eyes filling with tears. "You can't imagine the kind of pain she lived with. And when I saw her in L.A., she was so..._broken_. She was so sorry for everything she had done. But I didn't want to hear it. I just wanted to see her punished."

"She _deserved_ to be punished," Dawn said, but without her earlier rage. "She did bad things. Really bad things."

"I know," Buffy admitted. "And she knew it, too. That's why she turned herself in and confessed. She could've kept running, but she didn't. She finally took responsibility and accepted the consequences."

For a time they were both quiet as Dawn tried to absorb what her sister was telling her. Buffy just waited her out. After a bit, Dawn met her eyes again.

"Okay, but...after L.A., you came back to Sunnydale, and you and Riley got serious. It seemed like you had put all that other stuff behind you."

"It _seemed_ like it."

"So...all that time you were still in love with Faith? Is that what you're saying?"

"Love isn't something you can just turn off when it becomes inconvenient. All I could do was bury it and try to move on."

"But it didn't stay buried. When you came back, it came back with you."

Buffy nodded.

Dawn stared for a long moment. When she spoke again, her voice took on a petulant kind of plea. "Are you _surrrrrre_ this isn't some kind of post traumatic stress thing? I mean, maybe it really _is_ just your slayer connection, and when you got resurrected and you were freaking out and everything, you just sort of bonded with her all temporary-like?_" _She gave her sister a hopeful glance.

Buffy shook her head at Dawn's suggestion. Then she looked her sister in the eyes. "I'm sure."

Dawn let out a small huff. "I just don't understand how you can still love her...after all this time...after all she's done."

"I just do. Plus I can see how much she's changed. She's on the right side now."

"Yeah, but for how long?"

"For good this time. I believe that." At Dawn's doubtful look, Buffy changed her approach and shot her sister a smile. "Come on, she's not all bad. You have to know that. You liked a lot of things about her before she went evil. You went around saying 'five-by-five' for weeks after you first met her."

"I did not!" Dawn instantly denied.

Buffy snickered then sobered. "Look, I know you've got legitimate reasons for hating her-"

"I don't '_hate_' her," Dawn interjected. "Exactly," she added at Buffy's eyebrow raise. "I just don't trust her."

"Which I totally get," Buffy said, reaching across the table to touch her sister's arm. "All I'm asking is that you give her a chance." She pulled her hand back and started picking at the edges of her bagel. "Of course this is all assuming that _she_ gives _me_ a chance once she wakes up. Assuming she _does_ wake up." Buffy's expression grew anguished. "Oh, god, what if she doesn't? What if she doesn't get better? What if-"

"She _will_," Dawn assured, taking her sister's hand in hers and giving it an encouraging squeeze. "You know she will. She's made it this far, and that was the hardest part."

Buffy squeezed back. "Thank you. I know this is a lot to take in, and I appreciate you understanding."

"Listening, yes. Supporting, yes. Understanding, no," she teased. Then she grew serious again. "You know I just want you to be happy, right? If Faith makes you happy and she turns out to be a totally for-real non-psycho, then I guess I won't begrudge you that. After what you did to save me, after what you went through being torn from heaven...you deserve to be happy."

Buffy gave Dawn a tearful smile.

"However," Dawn said, pulling back her hand and raising it with her index finger pointed up, "I will continue to reserve my 'understanding' until Faith passes her 'I'm really not a psycho' test. Understood?"

"Understood," Buffy agreed. Then she quickly added, "Don't say anything to anybody, though...about my feelings for Faith. I need to tell her in my own way and time, and I can't do that until she's better. Okay?"

"Okay."

Buffy blinked in disbelief. "That's it? 'Okay'? No attempt to blackmail or extort...?"

Dawn gasped and shot her sister a look of mock outrage. "I'm appalled that you would suggest such a thing. Now eat your bagel. There are starving children in Africa who would kill for a bagel."

"Grownup Dawn is turning out to be a real pain in the ass."

"Wait till I start asking you all the 'gay' stuff. 'So...when did you start liking girls?' 'Are you sure you're gay?' 'What's it like to kiss a girl?' 'Does that mean _I'm_ gonna be gay too?' ..."

Buffy groaned and started banging her head against the table.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Dining Room - Same Time**

Dr. Raine was sitting alone at the table, taking notes on a legal pad from an ancient volume that sat next to a heap of similarly aged books. After coming down the stairs, Tara joined the doctor at the table.

"How's Willow?" Dr. Raine asked.

"Still bound and still out like a light, thank goodness," Tara replied. "Do you really think it's a Fury affecting her?"

"Yes. Based on our research and on the details that you've given me and that I've seen for myself, there is a very strong chance that it's a Fury. We'll know soon enough." She made a final note and set down her pen.

"Are those the spells?"

"Yes," she said, handing the legal pad to Tara.

"They seem straightforward enough," Tara said.

"You're the one with the talent and the discernment, so the second spell is yours." Dr. Raine gave Tara a serious stare. "It requires an unwavering strength of will. If you falter, even for a moment..."

"I won't," Tara promised. "No matter what it takes, I'm going to get Willow free from this thing."

Dr. Raine patted the witch's arm. "Good. Glad to hear it."

Just then, Xander and Anya came in the front door. Xander was carrying yet another stack of musty old books, which he dumped on a free corner of the dining room table. Anya was carrying a small brown sack, which she also placed on the table, but not before presenting a piece of paper to Dr. Raine.

"What's this?" the doctor asked.

"Your bill from the Magic Box," Anya informed her. "There will be no more freeloading like there was when Giles was in charge."

"But..." Dr. Raine started to object.

Xander leaned over to the doctor and whispered, "Don't get between Anya and her money. It's not worth the hell she will put us through." He smiled innocently at his girlfriend and then sat down. "So...are we ready to do this thing?"

"Oh, um, very nearly," Dr. Raine said, setting aside the bill so that she could pick up one of the new volumes Xander had brought. "I just want to double-check one or two points." She picked up the sack and handed it to Tara. "If you'll finish preparing the ritual items..."

"I'm on it," Tara said, taking the sack and heading back upstairs.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Willow & Tara's Bedroom - A Short Time Later**

While Xander and Anya stood watching from the hallway, tranq guns in hand, Dr. Raine and Tara were about to conduct the two rituals they had planned. Dr. Raine had first injected Willow with an agent designed to counteract the tranquilizer. Willow needed to be conscious so that Tara could get a better read on her aura. Willow was still bound to the bed by the binding spell that they had done earlier, and she was still clearly under the influence of the Fury. As Dr. Raine began incanting the lines of the first spell, Willow was pleading with Tara.

"Tara, please...don't let her do this. She's trying to kill me! Can't you see that?"

Tara tried to stay focused on Dr. Raine, but her eyes kept darting to Willow. She couldn't bear to see her in such pain.

_It's the __Fury__ who's hurting her_, Tara reminded herself. _Not us_.

"When I'm dead, this will be all your fault!" Willow accused. "I hope you can live with that, Tara. I hope you can live with the fact that you killed me!"

_It's the Fury, it's the Fury_, Tara repeated like a mantra. _It's not Willow. My Willow wouldn't do this._

"Reveal!"

When Tara heard Dr. Raine belt out the last line of the revealing spell, she watched a glowing energy swirl around the room. It began coalescing around a frightening shape that was perched on the corner of the bed. The shape looked like a twisted version of an angel-winged, hideous, evil.

"Dr. Raine! What is that?"

"Fury! Just as I suspected. Banish it, Miss Maclay!"

Tara opened her mouth to begin but stopped when Willow started screaming in agony as the Fury appeared to be digging its claws into her skull.

"Willow!" Tara cried out.

"Do the ritual!" Dr. Raine ordered. "Do it now!"

Tara started reciting a passage in Latin, hesitantly at first, then more strongly.

When she reached the end of the passage, the Fury shrieked, left Willow, and began frantically flying around the room as if it were seeking escape but not finding it.

Seeing Willow's aura shift, Tara lifted a vial in the air and began commanding in English.

"Let the evil thing be exiled. To the place which is no place. To the time which is no time..."

The Fury was now going completely berserk. It hovered right in front of Tara, screeching and cursing, but Tara remained unmoved.

"...To the realm of utter nothingness," she called out. "Let it banished, forever!"

She then tossed the contents of the vial into a bowl that was already emitting a ghostly mist. The potion erupted in a flash of light and smoke. The Fury's shrieking became a howl that slowly faded. When the smoke dispersed, the Fury was gone.

Tara called Willow's name and then ran to her side, releasing the binding spell as she went.

Willow clung to Tara and cried, "Oh god, Tara, what's happening? What's happening to me?"

"Everything's okay, baby," Tara told her. "Everything's gonna be okay now."

Dr. Raine, Xander, Anya looked on sadly as the two witches wept in each other's arms.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Willow & Tara's Bedroom - A Short Time Later**

Willow was now composed, but she kept her hands latched onto Tara's as Dr. Raine talked to her about the Fury. The watcher was sitting on the edge of the bed. Xander and Anya observed from the nearby chair.

"So...i-i-is this Fury thing really gone?" Willow asked worriedly. "W-W-What if it comes back?"

"It won't," Dr. Raine replied. "This particular Fury has been banished completely from this dimension. It can never return, not even if summoned."

"But another Fury could be summoned, right?" Tara asked.

"What? Another one?" Willow said, panic in her voice. "Oh god...who is doing this? Why are they doing this to me?"

"I don't know yet," Dr. Raine said. "But it's clear that they were targeting _you_. A Fury doesn't just attack at random. It's summoned with a particular victim in mind."

"I don't think they were targeting Willow at all," Tara said, causing Willow to give her a betrayed glance. Tara instantly started to explain. "No, I-I-I mean, yes, they _were_ targeting you, obviously. I just mean that maybe Willow wasn't the intended victim. Maybe she was just the _means_."

"Ohhh, I get it," Anya said. "You think _Faith_ was the target and Willow was the patsy. Huh. Makes sense."

"No, no...none of this makes sense..." Willow said.

"Sure it does...from Evil's perspective," Anya said. "The last thing the Big E wants at the hellmouth is two slayers instead of one, especially when it just got through having none at all. If it can get Willow to take out Faith, that's one less slayer to worry about."

"But why didn't they target Buffy instead of Faith?" Xander asked. "Buffy's the overachiever with all A's against apocalypses. Faith's the flunkie-or used to be, anyway."

"I think the answer may lie in the nature of the weapon itself," Dr. Raine said. "A Fury works by manipulating the victim's own negative emotions, twisting them, multiplying them." She turned to Willow. "Given your close relationship with Miss Summers, it's doubtful you could have been easily incited to harm her."

"But if they just needed someone who hated Faith, that could have been any one of us," Xander pointed out. "Including Buffy. So...why Willow?"

"She's our 'big gun,' for one thing," Anya said to Xander. "Do you think you or Dawn could take Faith out?"

"Miss Jenkins has a point," Dr. Raine said. "But it may be a matter of ease of access." She turned to Willow and met her eyes. "The ritual you used to bring Miss Summers back...it put your very soul at risk. You do realize that, don't you?"

Willow hung her head, confirming Dr. Raine's suspicions that the redhead had known very well what the risks had been.

"It's possible," Dr. Raine went on, "that your foray into dark magic, however well-intentioned and short-lived it might have been, made you more susceptible to the Fury's influence."

"Which means she could be susceptible again," Anya said.

"So...what do we do?" Xander asked desperately. "How do we keep this from happening?"

"I believe there's a protection spell we can cast," Dr. Raine said. "I didn't find it in the volumes available here. I'll have to research it further when my library is delivered. In the meantime, I believe Miss Maclay's ability to read auras will make us aware of any unusual changes in Miss Rosenberg's demeanor."

The watcher gave Tara a questioning glance, and Tara nodded in return.

"Excellent," Dr. Raine said before glancing at her watch. "Now, I must return to the hospital to check on Faith. Mr. Harris, might I trouble you for a ride?"

"Yo, Doc...we just went through our first demony mission together. You think you could dispense with the Misters and Misses? Makes me feel like I'm back in second grade Sunday School."

Dr. Raine smiled. "Of course. Xander, then...about that ride..."

"One ride coming up," Xander said.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Hospital - E. R. Waiting Room - Later That Morning**

As soon as Dr. Raine entered the hospital, she went straight to the admissions desk. After getting cleared by the new nurse on duty, she headed directly into the treatment area, without stopping to speak with Buffy or Dawn. Xander and Anya met the two sisters as they crossed the waiting room.

"How's Faith?" Xander asked.

" 'Critical but stable, critical but stable'...that's all they'll tell us," Buffy complained.

"How's Willow?" Dawn asked.

At the mention of the redhead's name, Buffy crossed her arms and looked away, but she didn't leave.

"Better now that Dr. Raine and Tara exorcised the Fury," Xander replied.

"Banished, not exorcised," Anya corrected. "Exorcisms are for possessions, and Willow wasn't possessed."

"Ummm...what?" Dawn asked, totally confused.

"Apparently Willow was under the influence of a Fury," Xander said.

"I-I-Is that one of those Greek things...the ones that come in threes but not the Fates?" Dawn asked.

"If you mean the three hot chicks in sexy thread-ware from Xena, then no," Xander said. "This thing was _scary_."

"There aren't just three of them either," Anya added. "That was just a literary thing poets developed a long time ago."

"What do these Furies do?" Buffy couldn't help asking.

"They make a person, well, furious," Xander said. "They take whatever's eating at a person, and they magnify it until the person lashes out. It was the Fury that made Willow attack Faith."

Buffy wasn't sure how to react to this information, but she didn't have time to consider it for very long, either, because Dr. Raine took that moment to reenter the waiting area. Buffy immediately rushed over to her. The others quickly followed.

"Dr. Raine! How's Faith? Is she okay?" Buffy asked. "Please tell me she's okay."

"She's still stable and now out of recovery from her surgery," she told Buffy. "You can come with me to see her now." Dr. Raine then turned to the others. "In fact, you should all come with me so that you can move to the ICU waiting room."

"Is she awake yet?" Buffy asked.

"Regrettably no," Dr. Raine replied.

At that, Dr. Raine led Buffy and the others toward the public elevators.

**Cut To:  
Sunnydale Hospital - Intensive Care Unit - Moments Later**

After leaving the rest of the gang in the waiting area, Buffy followed Dr. Raine into a large honeycomb-shaped room. There was a nursing station in the center surrounded by a nearly complete circuit of individual rooms. The rooms were encased in glass so that every patient was visible from the nursing station.

Not every room was occupied, but each one that was occupied held a critically injured person hooked up to numerous devices, monitors, and equipment.

As she took in the sights of the ICU, Buffy felt her stomach twist into knots.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Hospital - ICU Waiting Room - Same Time**

"Was it just me, or was Buffy way more interested in how Faith was doing than her very best friend?" Xander asked.

"It's not just you," Anya replied.

"What's going on, Dawnie?" Xander asked.

Dawn froze, unsure how to answer, given her earlier promise to Buffy. She decided that a "tell the truth but not the whole truth" approach would be best.

"Do you remember how Buffy acted when she first came home, when Tara came back in and told her Faith was gone?"

"Yeah, she had a mini-freak-out over it," Xander said.

"Well, I think she was so traumatized from being resurrected that she just, I don't know, 'fixated' on Faith. She's spent every minute of the last two days either thinking about her or being worried about her or waiting for her."

Although Dawn now knew the reason for Buffy's seeming obsession, it still stung to be reminded of it, how it had felt when Buffy had embraced Faith and yet pushed her away.

"She swears Faith has changed," Dawn added.

"Are we sure _Buffy's_ not being influenced by a Fury?" Xander asked, " 'cause this borders on insanity. I mean, changed or not, Buffy's got more reason to hate Faith than anyone."

"I thought we decided to like Faith again?" Anya asked as she looked to Xander for clarification. "She did work for free."

Xander ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know what to think anymore."

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Hospital - Faith's ICU Room - Moments Later**

On the hospital bed, Faith lay as still as death. Only the soft beeps of the heart monitor assured Buffy that Faith was alive. As she stepped closer to the bed, Buffy could then see the slight rise and fall of Faith's chest as she breathed on her own. Buffy began to cry, but when her tears threatened to turn into all-out sobs, she forced them down before approaching the side of the bed.

Buffy caressed Faith's hair and then kissed her on the forehead. "Hey you," she said in a teasing tone. "It's time for you to wake up now, okay? You've done the whole coma thing before, you know...been there, done that, so no sense doin' it again." When her voice cracked, she swallowed several times and then said, "Just please wake up, Faith...please..."

As Buffy spoke softly to Faith, Dr. Raine carefully observed the two slayers. There was obviously a great deal more to their story than the Council records had indicated. After seeing Faith's reaction to Buffy's death, the watcher had already begun to rethink the causes of her slayer's earlier turn to the dark side. And now, having seen Buffy's reaction to Faith's condition, she could see the puzzle pieces of their troubled past falling into place in her mind.

Leaving Buffy to her visit with Faith, Dr. Raine wound her way out of the I.C.U. ward.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Hospital - I.C.U. Hallway - Continuous**

Once in the hallway between the ward and the waiting room, Dr. Raine pulled out her cell phone and punched in a lengthy series of numbers. The phone rang for a time before a male voice answered.

"It's worse than we feared," Dr. Raine said grimly and without prelude. Then, glancing back at the entrance to the I.C.U. ward, she said in more hopeful tone, "But...there's been an unexpected development..."

_**TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 16...**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Follow Your Heart**

**By DragonWriter17**

**PART 16**

**Fade In:**

**ICU Hallway - Resume**

Dr. Raine had given her brother, Quentin Travers, a quick summary of what had happened in the last twenty-four hours. Her face tightened into stony resolve as she listened on her cell phone to her brother's corresponding lecture.

"Absolutely not," she informed him before he got too far into announcing his plan.

"What?" Quentin replied in surprise. Then he took on a sterner tone. "What do you mean 'absolutely not'?"

"I meant exactly what I said. Neither you nor your team will be coming here to investigate Miss Summers' resurrection. Your presence would only complicate matters."

"Now see here, Vicky..."

"Oh, Quentin," she said, a hint of amusement softening her eyes. "Must I really remind you of how ineffective your dealings with Miss Summer have been? The words 'bite me' come to mind..."

"How did you-?" he asked before giving a disgusted grumble. "Rupert..." he growled, knowing that the former watcher must have shared the cheeky slayer's post-Cruciamentum parting words.

"...and the last time you attempted to 'evaluate' her, she sent you and your team packing. I doubt very seriously that her return from death has made her any more receptive to such an authoritarian approach."

"What would you have me do? Sit on my hands while we have an unprecedented return of a slayer from the dead, at the hands of a novice, no less?"

"Let me do my job," she answered. "The job you sent me to do. _Without_ interference."

After several moments of grumbling, Quentin finally relented, "Oh, very well."

"Thank you," she said. "Now...the first thing I'll do is call Rupert-"

"Oh, dear lord!" Quentin complained. "Is that really necessary?"

"Without interference," she reminded.

"Until you need something, of course."

"But, of course," she agreed with a chuckle. "And speaking of what I need, have our researchers find everything they can on Furies. It will be another two days before my full library is delivered, and even then, my personal collection may not contain all of the references we need."

"I'll contact Nigel straight away."

"Thank you. As I was saying, I'll call Rupert and ask him to contact the Devon Coven. It's imperative that Miss Rosenberg receive immediate training."

"Agreed."

"I'll have Miss Summers assume patrol as soon as she's able, and as for Faith..." The watcher stopped to clear her throat. "I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"Yes, well," Quentin murmured a bit uncomfortably. "Keep me informed of her progress."

"I will."

After discussing a few more details, Dr. Raine ended her call with her brother and immediately phoned Giles.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Willow and Tara's Room - Same Time**

Willow was curled up against Tara as they lay in bed together. Tara had Willow wrapped in a hug and was gently stroking her back. The redhead's latest round of sobbing had subsided, but tears still ran down her face.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Willow asked.

"I don't know," Tara replied honestly. "I hope so. She's a slayer. That gives her way better odds than a normal person would have."

Willow started crying again. "God, I can't stand it...she's in a coma, probably paralyzed, because of _me_, because of what _I_ did. I can't believe I did that to her, to anybody, but I did...it was me, all me...I'm so sorry..."

Unable to bear seeing Willow in such anguish, Tara began to sing. As the ancient but familiar words of the Orphic lullaby fell upon Willow's ears, her crying slowly ceased, and she slipped into a deep sleep.

"Get some rest," Tara told her as she kissed her head. "At least for a little while. You've got a long road ahead of you. We all do."

**Cut To:**

**ICU - Faith's Room - Same Time**

After speaking with Quentin, Dr. Raine had immediately called Giles. The two watchers had quickly discussed the situation and developed a plan of action. Giles would contact Althenea in Devon and arrange for Willow to receive assistance from the coven. Then he would catch the first available flight to Sunnydale.

Satisfied that a workable plan had commenced, Dr. Raine returned to the ICU. As she eased into the room and stood silently by the doorway, she carefully watched the two slayers.

Buffy was caressing Faith's arm, squeezing her hand. "I'm gonna be here when you wake up," she assured the sleeping slayer. "It won't be like before. I won't let you wake up alone this time, I swear. Just _please_ come back to me."

Just then, one of Faith's legs twitched. Buffy's face lit up in surprise. She looked at the blanket covering Faith's legs, then back at Faith's eyes.

"Faith?"

Dr. Raine hurried over and began studying the various monitors.

"Did you see that?" Buffy asked excitedly when Dr. Raine came to the bed. "She moved her leg! She must have heard me, she must not be paralyzed!"

"Buffy..."

"Faith, do it again," she pleaded but got no response. "Faith, please! I'm right here."

Again nothing.

"Buffy..." Dr. Raine gathered Buffy's hands and turned the girl around to face her. "It's not what you think."

"What? No! What are you saying?"

"I'm so very sorry. I should have warned you. These twitches...they're just involuntary muscle spasms. She'll have them from time to time, whether she's conscious or not. They, um, they don't mean anything."

Dr. Raine's heart broke as she saw all hope evaporate from Buffy's expression.

Tears began streaming down the girl's face. "But I thought-"

"I know, dear, I know," Dr. Raine said as she pulled the slayer into a hug and let her cry.

When Buffy's weeping ceased, Dr. Raine began slowly leading her from the room. Buffy sensed this and stopped. "No, I can't leave her..."

"I'm afraid you must. Visitation is over for now. You can come back soon."

Buffy looked longingly at Faith once more before finally allowing herself to be led from the room.

**Cut To:**

**ICU Waiting Room - Moments Later**

As Dr. Raine led the crestfallen Buffy back into the waiting room, Dawn was the first to see them and immediately got to her feet, followed by Xander and Anya.

"How is she?" Dawn asked her sister.

"She's still unconscious," Buffy replied. "She..."

"She's breathing on her own," Dr. Raine said, taking over when Buffy faltered. "Her vital signs are still strong and steady, and her brain activity is normal for a patient in her condition."

"But...she hasn't woken up yet," Xander stated, although it came out more like a question.

"No, she hasn't," Dr. Raine answered. "All we can do now is wait and allow her slayer healing to work its magic."

"And talk to her," Anya interjected. "That always works on TV."

At Anya's words, Xander cringed, and Dawn rolled her eyes. Dr. Raine, though, just smiled and said, "It often helps in real life, too."

"Really?" Buffy said, a little of her hope returning. Dr. Raine nodded, and then Buffy asked, "When can I see her again?"

"In about an hour. The Intensive Care Unit allows only a ten-minute visit each hour, with no more than two visitors at a time, so you all will have to take turns if you wish to see her."

"Oh, I don't need a turn," Anya blurted out, making the others glare at her. She scrambled to explain. "I'm just saying that somebody else can take my turn. I hardly even know Faith. I'm sure she'd rather have Buffy there than me."

Knowing that the ex-demon meant well, Buffy smiled at Anya and thanked her.

"Well, I want a turn, but it's going to have to wait," Xander said, looking at his watch. "I have to get to work, and I know Anya's got more to do at the shop." He then turned to Dawn. "And don't you have school?"

Dawn had been hoping no one would notice, and she wanted to kick Xander for mentioning it. "Yes," she admitted, "but I can miss. No major tests or anything. I wanna stay here with Buffy."

"I'll be okay," Buffy told her sister. "You should go on to school. I mean, after everything that happened last year...and-and you said this year was going really well...you don't wanna jinx it with an absence, right? You can come back as soon as you get out."

"Fiiiiinnnnne," Dawn reluctantly agreed, knowing that she probably wasn't going to win this argument.

"Come on, Dawnster," Xander said, draping an arm over the teen's shoulder, "I'll drop you off at the-_ooomph!_-house..."

"Big mouth," Dawn grumbled after giving Xander an elbow to the gut.

Both Dr. Raine and Buffy had to chuckle as they watched the others go.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - A Short Time Later**

When Dawn entered the house, a weary-looking Tara met her in the living room.

"Dawn," Tara noted in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you this morning."

"Yeah, well, I didn't expect you to see me, either," the teen replied, "but Xander let the cat out of the bag that it was a school day, and here I am."

"How's Faith?" Tara asked.

"She got moved to the ICU. She's stable, and her vital signs are good, but she still hasn't woken up."

"How is Buffy holding up? Did she get to see Faith?"

"She's okay. She did get to see Faith, but from the expression on her face when she came out, Faith must've looked pretty bad."

Tara frowned and ducked her head.

"How's Willow?" Dawn asked.

Tara glanced up at the stairs then turned back. "She's sleeping, finally. I had to cast another sleeping spell on her to make it happen, though."

"Xander and Anya told us about the Fury, the Cliffs Notes version, anyway. It must've been horrible."

"It was," Tara said. "You know, I've come across a lot of demons since moving to Sunnydale, but that...that was the most terrifying thing I have ever seen. And the way it affected Willow...she was just screaming..."

When Tara's voice caught in her throat, Dawn wrapped her up in a hug. "Oh, Tar, I'm so sorry this happened..."

"It's my fault," Tara said, pulling away and wiping at her tears. "I-I-I should have watched her more closely. I knew she was probably delving into dark magic, but I didn't confront her, I was too afraid of making her mad, of losing her."

"It's not your fault," Dawn insisted. "Willow knew what she was doing. Why else would she hide it from you?"

"I should have said something. If I had, maybe the Fury wouldn't have developed such a hold on her."

"What's going to happen to Willow now?"

"She's going to have to deal with what she's done. She'll probably need to stop using magic-all magic-for a while, which won't be easy."

"What do you mean?"

"Using magic-using it the right way, I mean-is difficult. It requires a very delicate balance of energy. Dark magic takes shortcuts, and it seems like the right way to go, but it's not because nothing is free, there's always a price, there are always consequences. Some dark magic has real, physical side effects."

"You mean like the nosebleed Willow got when you were fighting Glory at the hospital?"

Tara nodded. "Yeah, just like that. Dark magic can also be addictive. It's quick, powerful energy, and it makes you feel invincible. It's easy to become addicted to that high. But worst of all, it can have a very dangerous spiritual price. You can literally lose your soul."

An alarmed expression came over Dawn's face. "Is that what happened to Willow? She lost her soul?"

Tara reached out and touched the teen's arm. "No, sweetie, she didn't lose her soul. Otherwise, she wouldn't be feeling so guilty right now. But she's going to be in a really bad place for a while. We're all going to have to be very patient with her."

Dawn thought on that for a moment; then her eye caught a glimpse of the clock on the wall. "I'd better jump in the shower. If I hurry, I can make it to second period."

"I'll write you an excuse," Tara called up the stairs.

**Cut To:**

**ICU Waiting Room - Later That Morning**

While Buffy was visiting Faith again, Dr. Raine had taken the opportunity to visit the personnel office when it had opened. She'd finished the mound of paperwork that somehow still needed to be filled out and signed despite all of her earlier correspondence with the hospital. She'd also received her photo I.D. tag and card swipe, which was now clipped to the front pocket of her white smock. By the time she'd returned to the waiting room, Buffy was back from her visit.

"Got your mug shot, I see," Buffy said, pointing at the I.D. "Guess that means you're all official now."

"Yes, indeed it does," Dr. Raine replied, glad to see that the slayer's mood had lightened somewhat.

"Does that mean you'll be working here, like, with regular hours and stuff?"

"I'll have full privileges, but not a regular schedule. My watcher duties will consume most of my time, I'm afraid. I'll do an occasional shift in the E.R., though, just to keep me on my toes."

"Faith said you were pretty sharp in the prison infirmary. I could tell she was impressed."

Dr. Raine looked away, noticeably uncomfortable with the praise. "Difficult job, that. So much violence, so few resources."

Buffy wasn't quite ready to let the doctor escape, however. She wanted Dr. Raine to know how Faith felt about her, just in case-

Buffy didn't let herself finish that thought, she couldn't bear to. She forced her mind to get back on track.

"She really respects you," she told the watcher. "And believe me, her respect is hard to earn. I know you're one of the reasons she turned her life around."

"Yes, well, I also nearly got her killed, so you'll forgive me for not accepting any accolades. Sending her on alone like that...what was I thinking?"

Buffy suspected she knew. "She talked you into it, didn't she?" she asked with a smirk.

Dr. Raine had to chuckle a little. "Yes. Yes, she did."

"She's good at that," Buffy said. "I think it's the dimples."

Dr. Raine let out a heartier laugh this time but quickly sobered. "Still, if I'd waited..."

"If you'd waited, you might've ended up with a full demonic occupation on the hellmouth."

"True," Dr. Raine admitted. Then she slapped her hands on her thighs and said, "Enough of that. No sense wasting time on ifs and wishes. Let's talk about what we need to do now."

At that, Dr. Raine proceeded to tell Buffy about her conversations with Quentin and Giles and the plans they'd made.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Afternoon**

"Anybody home?" Dawn called out after shutting the front door and dumping her backpack on the floor.

"Just me," Willow answered from the dining room.

"Oh," Dawn said as she joined her. "I was just wondering 'cause I didn't see the car out front."

"Tara had to run out to the college," Willow explained. "Her advisor called, and she couldn't get out of it. Plus, she's gonna stop by the hospital on her way home."

Dawn could see Willow's laptop set up on the table, but the redhead wasn't working at it. Instead, she was moving nervously about the room, not quite pacing, but clearly unable to be still. Though her eyes were alert, they were bloodshot with dark circles beneath them.

"How are you doing?" Dawn asked.

"Okay, I guess," Willow replied, forcing herself to stop and rest her hands on the back of one of the chairs. "As okay as I can be for someone who got possessed and tried to kill somebody." She looked down for a moment, then made herself ask, "H-H-How is Faith?"

"Hanging in there. Last I heard, anyway. I called during my free period after lunch."

"Good. That's good," Willow said, becoming fidgety again. "You, uh, you want something to eat? A snack maybe? I-I-I think we still have some Fudge Stripes."

"Sure."

Dawn wasn't really hungry, but she went along just to give Willow something to do. She followed the redhead into the kitchen and leaned against the bar as Willow rummaged in the pantry.

After a few seconds, Willow set the Keebler bag on the counter. "Milk?"

"Yeah."

Willow pulled a glass from the cabinet and got the milk carton out of the refrigerator. When she went to pour the milk into the glass, though, her hands were shaking so badly that she had to stop. She tried again, but only managed to slosh the milk onto the floor.

"It's okay," Dawn told her, taking the glass and milk carton from her. "I'll get it."

"I'm sorry. I can't seem to..." Willow trailed off, not bothering to finish her statement.

Dawn poured the milk into the glass, then wiped up the spill with a paper towel. "It's the magic, isn't it?" she asked, looking at Willow's still shaking hands.

Willow gave a reluctant nod. "I-I-I didn't realize how much I was..." She paused to consider her wording. "..._using_," she finally said. When she saw the intense worry on the teen's face, she quickly added, "I'll be fine, Dawnie. I-I-I just need to get a handle on things, a-a-and I will. I promise." She turned and looked out the kitchen window. "I promise," she repeated, although her voice lacked the confidence she'd tried to inject into it.

**Cut To:**

**ICU Waiting Room - A Short Time Later**

Tara wound her way through the hospital until she found the Intensive Care Unit. When she peeked through the glass window, she saw Buffy sitting alone near the doorway to the ICU proper. A few other people were in the room, but they had each staked out a vacant corner, apparently not in the mood for company.

For a moment, Tara considered leaving without seeing Buffy. She ducked her head, remembering the way Buffy had turned away from her when she'd first come back from checking on Willow.

_Maybe it would be better if I just left her in peace_, Tara thought.

When she looked up, she found that Buffy had already seen her and was giving her a small wave.

_No backing out now_, Tara told herself as she went inside the waiting room.

As Tara approached, she saw Buffy get to her feet. The slayer looked a bit haggard as if her worries were weighing heavily on her. Tara put her fears aside and pulled her friend into a hug. Buffy gladly returned the embrace, desperately needing the nurturing warmth that Tara so easily exuded.

When they separated, Tara asked, "How's Faith?"

"The same," Buffy reported sadly.

Buffy knew that she should ask Tara about Willow in return, but she just couldn't bring herself to, so she changed the subject and gestured for them to sit.

"I-I-Is Dawn still at school?"

Tara glanced at her watch. "Um, I don't think so. She's probably home by now. I had to go see my advisor. It took longer than I thought. Otherwise, I'd be there. I try to be there when she comes home."

"Thank you," Buffy said, reaching out to give Tara's hand a squeeze.

"For what?"

"For taking care of Dawn while I was...gone. It means a lot to me that Dawn was in such good hands."

"We all pitched in," Tara replied, covering Buffy's hand with her own. "We didn't want Dawn going into the system. We're family. Right?"

"Yes, we are," Buffy confirmed with a smile.

After the two had traded another set of hand squeezes, they pulled away and sat in silence for a moment. Just as Tara was about to take her leave, Buffy broke the silence.

"I just wanted to thank you, too, for how you've treated Faith. You're the only one who's been nice to her from the start, who's been willing to give her a chance."

"It's easier for me," Tara explained. "I wasn't around when she...hurt everyone."

"You were here when she stole my body, thank goodness. Otherwise, I'd be in a straightjacket in a Council cell about now. I still don't know how you figured that out."

"I could see it in your aura. You just weren't..._you_. I don't know how to explain it. It's just something I can see. Just like I can see how sincere Faith is. And...how sorry Willow is for what she did."

At the mention of Willow's name, Buffy instantly stiffened and pulled away. Whatever rapport she and Tara had managed to build just crumbled into dust. It was at that awkward moment that Dr. Raine arrived on the scene.

"Miss Maclay...Tara..." Dr. Raine corrected. "I'm glad you're here." She sat down with the two girls. "How is Willow?"

Tara first glanced uncomfortably at Buffy, knowing that the slayer didn't want to be present for this discussion. Then she answered, "She's okay. She's coping, and her aura looks almost completely normal."

"Almost?" Buffy asked in concern.

"It's just distressed," Tara explained, "because of how upset she is."

"Understandable," Dr. Raine noted, although Buffy didn't appear convinced. "I've gotten word, _finally_, on the 'home' front. The house I'm renting will be ready tomorrow, and the movers will arrive the day after that. The hotel's been very nice, and it's been good to have a quiet place to rest for a few hours, but I look forward to having my own things around me-my books, especially. Once my full library is delivered, we'll be able to work on that..." She quickly scanned the other occupants of the room and lowered her voice a tad. "...ritual we discussed...the 'Anti-Fury' protection spell, I believe we're calling it."

"That's great," Tara said.

"There's more I'd like to discuss with you if you can make the time?"

"Um, sure, I can stick around a little longer," Tara said.

"Buffy, it's almost time for visitation, but I'd like you to consider something. I think you should take some time away from here, between visits. Perhaps you could go home with Tara and get some rest..."

Buffy stood, already shaking her head. "No, I can't go back there right now. I'm reliving that scene in my mind enough as it is. If I have to see that room-God, if I have to see Willow-" She cut herself off before she said something she'd regret. She crossed her arms tightly. "Maybe once she's gone..."

Dr. Raine winced at the untimely revelation, but Tara only grew alarmed. "What do you mean, 'once she's gone'?" she demanded as she also stood up.

Dr. Raine got to her feet and turned to Buffy. "Why don't you go on in and start your visit while I speak with Tara?"

When Buffy nodded and left the room, Dr. Raine turned to Tara and took her hand and patted it. "Come along, dear, let's go for a walk, shall we? I believe our conversation shall require a bit more privacy than this room offers. The courtyard, I think...near the roses..."

At that, Tara allowed herself to be led away.

**Cut To:**

**Hospital Courtyard - Moments Later**

Tara held her tongue as Dr. Raine led her through the hospital and then outside and into the small but beautiful courtyard that filled the grounds between the wings of oddly-shaped building known as Sunnydale Hospital. When they arrived and found the place empty, Tara immediately confronted the doctor.

"What did Buffy mean? Is the Council planning to take Willow away, like they tried to do with Faith? Because I-I-I won't let you do that to her! I won't!"

"The Council _isn't_ going to take Willow away," Dr. Raine insisted. "In fact, the Council itself will have very little to do with what we've planned."

"We?"

"Rupert and I. He'll be here tomorrow."

"You and Giles?" Tara asked, visibly relaxing upon hearing the former watcher's name.

Dr. Raine nodded. "Did Rupert ever mention the Devon Coven?"

"Yes, he said that he had worked with them before."

"They are an extremely powerful coven. They work with the Council on occasion, but are completely independent. When Rupert was a young man, he was led astray into the dark arts by Ethan Rayne. Their experimenting ended in disaster, and Rupert nearly lost his life and his soul. Unlike Ethan, though, Rupert sought help. It was the Devon Coven that assisted him in his recovery. We have a dear, dear friend in the coven, Althenea, who's agreed to take Willow in."

Dr. Raine paused to give Tara a chance to absorb this new information. When Tara just stood there looking distraught, the doctor stepped forward and touched her shoulder.

"You _do_ realize that Willow is in over her head, that she needs help?"

Tears tumbled over Tara's eyelids, and she brought her hand to her mouth as she nodded in reply. "I know, I know," she admitted. "But...couldn't Althenea come to Sunnydale and help her here?"

"She could," Dr. Raine answered, "but I think you know that this type of work is best done within an experienced circle...far from the influences that led to the addiction."

Tara sadly dropped her gaze. "You think I'm part of Willow's problem."

"I think being a mostly-self-taught witch who regularly fights evil on a hellmouth is Willow's problem," Dr. Raine noted with a chuckle. Then she sobered and said, "Like the partners of many addicts, you probably enabled her at times, but that doesn't mean that any of this is your fault. That responsibility lies solely with Willow. I haven't known you for very long, Tara, but I can tell from our work on banishing the Fury that you're very well grounded. You take your power very seriously, and you stay true to the teachings that were passed to you. If I had to speculate, I'd say that it's quite possible that your influence kept Willow from losing control much sooner than she might have."

Tara let out a small sob. "Really?"

Dr. Raine grasped both of Tara's arms and looked her in the eyes. "Really."

Dr. Raine released Tara, stepped back, and clasped her hands together across her waist. "So...will you help me convince Willow to accompany Rupert to England so that she can work with Althenea and the coven?"

Tara didn't answer right away. Her forehead was furrowed as she considered the options.

"I assure you," Dr. Raine added, "there will be no interference from the Council on this matter. I have my brother's word, and I will hold him to that promise."

Tara thought for a moment longer then said, "Yes, I'll help you."

"Thank you. It's the right thing to do. And if all goes well, she won't be gone long."

**Cut To:**

**ICU Waiting Room - Later That Afternoon**

When Xander got off work, he rushed home and got cleaned up. Then he picked up Dawn and Anya and headed for the hospital. When they arrived, they found Dr. Raine trying to convince Buffy to take a break from her vigil.

"It would do you good to take the night off," Dr. Raine was saying. "To get some actual rest. You can even use my hotel room if you like."

"Please, Dr. Raine...please don't make me leave," Buffy pleaded before tacking on a pronounced pout.

As the doctor hesitated, reevaluating her position, Dawn stepped in and crossed her arms. "Don't even try to fight the Power of the Pout, Dr. Raine. Resistance is futile."

Dr. Raine made a mock grumble, then said to Buffy, "I see...hmmm...Faith has her dimples, and you have your pout, eh?"

As Buffy grinned and nodded, Xander added, "Yes, it's the lesser known of their slayer powers, but much more dangerous. You'd best not tempt fate."

"Oh, very well," Dr. Raine finally said. Before Buffy could celebrate her victory, however, the watcher raised her index finger in exception. "But..._only if _you go out for a real meal tonight _and_ you take the time to freshen up at my hotel room."

Buffy glanced at the group. "What? Do I stink?"

"Well, we weren't going to say anything, but now that you mention it..." Anya noted.

"_Fine_, I'll go," Buffy said, "but _you're_ buying my dinner." She pointed at Anya and Xander.

"What?" Anya objected.

"No problem," Xander said.

Dr. Raine turned to Xander and Dawn. "It's time for another visitation period. Would you like to see Faith?" At their nods, she told them, "Just go in that door, and the nurse will direct you."

As Anya plopped into a chair to pout about the impending dinner check, Dr. Raine stepped closer to Buffy. "As a further incentive to extend your time away," she hinted heavily, "I'm going to see if I can get Faith moved to a standard room, which will take some time. It'll still be on the critical care floor, mind you, with plenty of supervision, but with a bit more leniency in the area of visitation."

Buffy's face lit up at the news. "Thank you, thank you!" she said, giving the watcher a hug.

"No promises," Dr. Raine said as they ended the hug. Then she pulled a key card from her pocket and handed it over. "I'm at the Hyatt, Room 416."

Buffy took the card and slid it into the side pocket of the overnight bag that Dawn had brought her the night before. Then she sat down to wait for Xander and Dawn's return.

**Cut To:**

**ICU - Faith's Room - Same Time**

Dawn and Xander followed the nurse to the entrance to Faith's room. On the way there, Dawn's stomach had already been doing gymnastics-and not the kind that ended in a perfect score of 10's-it was more like the kind that ended in a face plant on the mat.

Remembering the expression on Buffy's face after her first visit, Dawn had tried to prepare herself for the worst. Unfortunately, the prep work didn't help much when she finally got to see Faith. She let out a gasp and grabbed Xander's arm.

Xander put his hand over Dawn's, hoping to comfort her, but the truth was...he needed the comfort just as much.

Neither one of them had ever visited anyone in the ICU before. Hospital yes, ICU no. They were overwhelmed by what they saw and heard. Multiple IV bags containing God knows what, tubes and wires going to and from Faith's body, monitors flashing and beeping.

Even more upsetting, though, was the sight of Faith herself. It wasn't the paleness or the cuts and abrasions that disturbed them. It was the utter lack of movement. The slayer was so still that it was hard to believe she was even alive. They knew that, even when just standing, Faith was almost always moving-tapping her feet, rocking back on her heels, tapping her thumbs against her thighs. To see her lying there, so unmoving, rattled them to their core. They couldn't help but be reminded of what Buffy had looked like lying at the base of Glory's tower.

Xander was the first to shake out of the shock and move to Faith's side.

"Hey there, Faith. It's me, Xander."

"And Dawn," the teen added as she joined him at the bedside.

"We'd ask how you felt but..." Xander said.

"...you'd just glare at us and say, 'How do you think?' " For her quote, Dawn put on a playful sarcastic tone that she hoped sounded like Faith.

The two visitors shared a chuckle before falling silent for a time, each caught in their own thoughts.

Xander's mind flashed rapidly through his memories of Faith, but what stood out the most was how she had been the day before, when she'd stopped by the Magic Shop and helped with the cleanup. She had worked her ass off-for free-without so much as a complaint or a smart remark. It was only after they'd lifted the large bookshelf into place that he had discovered she'd been working while in pain, still recovering from the injuries she'd received from the battle with the Hellions.

Xander smiled at her and said, "I know you took a pretty big hit, on top of a bunch of other big hits, but you're a slayer. So you just get that super healin' mojo a-working, you hear? Okay then." After a firm nod, he slipped past Dawn and walked to the doorway to wait.

She took his place beside the bed and gently grasped the slayer's hand. Like Xander's had, Dawn's thoughts took her through a rollercoaster montage of Faith memories. One part of her mind kept revisiting the evil that Faith had done. Another, stronger part kept reminding her of what Faith had been able to do that no one else had: put the light back in Buffy's post-resurrection eyes.

Dawn leaned over and whispered in the slayer's ear. "You have to wake up, Faith. Even though it seems _completely_ crazy to me...Buffy needs you. She loves you. I _really_ think she loves you."

Dawn gave Faith's hand a final squeeze before meeting Xander at the door.

**Cut To: **

**ICU - Faith's New Room - A Couple of Hours Later**

After Buffy had freshened up at Dr. Raine's hotel room, she had met Dawn, Xander, and Anya downstairs, and the foursome had headed out to eat. Though Anya had glared at him for his expensive choice of venue, Xander had selected one of the few decent 'sit-down' restaurants that Sunnydale had to offer, hoping to lengthen Buffy's break from the hospital. By the time their desserts had arrived, though, Buffy had become restless, clearly anxious to return so that she could check on Faith. After getting their desserts to go, Xander had paid the bill and then driven Dawn back home and Buffy back to the hospital.

When Buffy had returned to the critical care floor, Dr. Raine had caught her just before she was about to go into the ICU waiting room. After telling her that Faith had been moved, she had led Buffy to Faith's new room.

Although Faith was still surrounded by a massive amount of medical machinery, it felt less intimidating in the larger room. There was a small private bathroom attached, and there were two chairs in the room, one of which appeared to be a vinyl-clad, unusually small recliner. Dr. Raine pointed out the odd-looking chair.

"I believe this contraption is designed to convert into some sort of sleeping apparatus, but I am doubtful of it being the least bit conducive to sleep."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Buffy insisted. "Thank you so much for arranging this. I really want to be here for her. I wasn't before, and I owe her that."

"You're very welcome," Dr. Raine replied. "Well, I'll be off then," she added as she headed for the doorway. "I'll be at my hotel room tonight, but you have my cell number. I'll be back in the morning to check on you."

"Okay."

"Talk to her, but get some sleep as well."

"I will," Buffy promised.

At that, Dr. Raine left the two slayers alone.

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Willow and Tara's Room - Same Time**

Willow lay on her back-eyes fixed on the ceiling, blanket and top sheet cast aside. Her breathing was quick and shallow, and a sheen of sweat covered her trembling body. The magic withdrawal was taking its toll.

Tara sat on the bed beside her, gently wiping her face and neck with a cool, wet cloth.

Willow closed her eyes, causing tears to leak out and trail down her face. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "You shouldn't have to be doing this..."

"Shhh...don't even think that," Tara told her before putting the cloth aside.

"God, it's only been a day without magic and look at me. I'm _pathetic_. No wonder Dr. Raine wants to ship me off to England."

"It'll get better, _you'll_ get better." She caressed Willow's hair then asked, "Do you want me to sing to you?"

At the offer of the sleeping spell, Willow gave Tara a look of desperation and almost said yes. Then she turned resigned eyes back to the ceiling. "No," she said sadly as the tears continued to fall. "No more singing."

**Cut To:**

**ICU - Faith's New Room - Later That Night**

Buffy had taken Dr. Raine's advice to heart and had spent the last several hours talking to Faith-about everything that had happened between them, good and bad, past and present. At the moment she was slowly pacing around Faith's bed, knotting her fingers together as she spoke.

"For a long time, all I could do was focus on everything you had done wrong, everything you had done to hurt me and the people I loved. I even had a list. My 'Never Forget' List."

Buffy pantomimed reading from a piece of paper: " 'Never forget that she tried to frame you for murder.' 'Never forget that she tried to kill Angel.' 'Never forget what she did to your mother.' And so on."

She let her arms drop back to her sides. "You probably had a list on me, too."

"But, see...this is the part I hate...about how I handled things...well, one part, anyway: It never occurred to me, not once, to make a list of everything you had done _right_. Not that we can add up all of our deeds, like some kind of cosmic checkbook, and make ourselves come out on the positive side. I know it doesn't work like that. Still...I never really gave you enough credit, you know?" Buffy stopped and stared at Faith, wishing more than ever that she could look into the other slayer's eyes.

After a long moment, she looked away. "But I'm gonna fix that," she announced. "I'm gonna tell you everything you did right. First up? Kakistos." Buffy returned to the chair beside the bed. "You did a lot of things right with that. First of all, you came to Sunnydale, which allowed us to meet and me to help. Secondly, you totally dusted the guy! 'Worst of the worst,' my ass. Most importantly, though...you didn't die. You followed the first rule of slaying, and you didn't die." She put her hand over Faith's and gave it a squeeze. "And I would really _really_ appreciate it if you never _ever_ stopped following that rule, okay?"

Buffy swallowed hard and then put her voice of cheer back on. "What next? Oh! Homecoming. I didn't hear about this one until months later, but I _know _what you did to Scott at the dance. Total shame smack-down! Right in front of his date!" Buffy fell into a giggle. "Ohhhh, he probably didn't deserve that, and I really shouldn't be laughing but..." Buffy giggled some more. When she sobered, she told Faith, "Thanks for that..."

**Fade Out.**

**Fade In:**

**Desert Landscape - Night**

Buffy lay curled upon a boulder amidst sandy dunes until the distant rumbling of thunder woke her. She sat up and took in the sight of the moonlit landscape around her. A short distance away, above a craggy outcropping, she could see a fire's glowing embers rising into the sky. She slipped from the boulder and headed that way.

When she reached the outcropping, she squeezed through a crack in the wall of rock and stepped into a nearly circular gathering of tall jagged stones. The inner circle consisted mostly of sand, its rippled surface broken only by the occasional boulder or desert shrub. In the center burned a large fire.

On the far side of the blaze, a female figure with long, unruly dark hair was swinging a battle axe in a fearsome set of moves. Chop, chop, uppercut, block, back flip. Buffy eased around the fire, mesmerized by the scene. The girl wore tattered blue jeans, black boots, and a leather vest that left her arms bare and her tribal tattoo clearly visible.

When the figure froze as if at a natural pause in her routine, Buffy spoke.

"Faith?"

The figure whipped her head around and went into a defensive crouch, growling deep in her throat. Her face was painted with a band of black across her eyes. A jagged streak of black ran down each cheek.

Confused by the dark slayer's reaction, Buffy stepped closer. "Faith? It's me, Buf-"

Before she could even finish speaking her own name, Buffy found herself up against a boulder with the axe at her throat. True fear flashed in her eyes as the rumble of thunder overhead grew louder.

"We...are..._alone_!" the dark figure barked in a low, hoarse voice.

Realizing that the figure wasn't Faith at all but the Spirit of the First Slayer, Buffy sighed heavily and said, "Oh, it's you again." She nonchalantly pushed the axe aside and walked away. "Look, we've been through this before. We-and, by we, I mean I-'_we_' are not alone. I think I've more than proven that a slayer working with a team gets the job done better and lives a lot longer. Well, usually. Until recently I did, anyway. But I came back from the dead, twice even, and I bet you can't say that."

The First Slayer roared and rushed Buffy, but this time the blonde was ready. She skillfully evaded swing after swing, scrambling past boulders, tumbling across sand. She stayed on the defensive, unable to bring herself to attack the First Slayer's Faith-like form.

Buffy got caught in an awkward dodge, though, and the First Slayer rammed the butt of her axe into Buffy's face, sending her stumbling back. A leg sweep seconds later slammed the blonde onto her back in the sand. The First Slayer was on her in an instant, pressing the axe handle against her throat. Luckily, Buffy was able to get her hands underneath the weapon and hold it at bay.

As the rainless sky crackled with lightning and the rumbling thunder became percussive booms, the First Slayer growled and pressed harder. "We are destruction, absolute, we are the kill, the-"

"-the blood cry, the penetrating wound, yada, yada, yada..." Buffy intoned, rolling her eyes. Then she kicked the First Slayer away and stood up. "I've heard all this before. If you've got something new to say, then say it. Otherwise, I'm waking up."

The First Slayer's eyes darted nervously, but she did not speak.

"That's it, I'm outta here," Buffy said as she turned toward the crevice she'd crawled through earlier.

"We are...afraid."

The voice was so small, Buffy was surprised she even heard it over the growing storm. She turned back. "Afraid?" she asked. "What are you afraid of?"

A huge branch of electricity spread across the sky, and in that brief illumination, Buffy saw the spirits of hundreds of slayers from all eras surrounding them.

Just as she was about to ask her question again, a massive bolt of lightning struck the fire in the center of the circle, causing Buffy to leap away and hit the ground.

**Smash Cut To:**

**Faith's Hospital Room - Night**

Buffy awoke with a gasp, right where she had fallen asleep: in the chair next to Faith's bedside.

Still shaking from the dream, she instantly checked Faith. The dark slayer was unchanged, vital signs strong but showing no indication of being close to waking up.

"What the hell was that?" Buffy asked herself as she tried to make sense of the dream.

**TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 17...**


	17. Chapter 17

**FOLLOW YOUR HEART**

**Part 17**

**By DragonWriter17**

**PART 17A**

**Fade In:**

**Summers Home - Kitchen - Tuesday Morning**

Although she was exhausted from ministering to Willow most of the night before, Tara had risen early so that she could get showered and dressed in time to make breakfast for Dawn before school. After she had gotten the coffee started, she mixed up the ingredients for a batch of homemade biscuits. Once they were in the oven, she cleaned up and then sat down at the bar to sip her coffee, hoping the caffeine would kick in quickly. By the time she finished her first cup of coffee, Tara heard Dawn coming down the stairs.

"Hey, Dawnie," Tara greeted as the teen entered the kitchen.

"Hey," Dawn replied, dumping her backpack on the floor and pulling up to the bar.

Tara stood and walked over to the stove, peering inside the glass of the oven door. "I've got biscuits. They're just about done. You want some eggs?"

Dawn shook her head. "Not really that hungry."

"Yeah, me neither, but I guess we should try to eat something."

Tara pulled the baking sheet from the oven, slid the biscuits into a large bowl, then placed it on the bar. After adding two small plates, a butter dish, and a bottle of syrup, she sat down with Dawn to eat.

Dawn noticed how tired Tara looked. "Willow have a bad night?"

Tara nodded. "The withdrawal's getting rough, but she wouldn't let me cast a sleeping spell on her. She didn't fall asleep until after four this morning."

"Is she going to be okay?" Dawn asked anxiously.

"She will," Tara assured. "But these first few days will be really hard." Her eyes became pained. "I-I-I'm worried about her going on the plane...the flight's gonna be so long..."

"And you'll be _apart_. Like for the first time ever."

Tara fought off the tears and put on a smile. "We'll get through this. She'll go, she'll get better, and she'll be home before we know it. So, how was dinner last night?"

"It was okay," she admitted. "The food was great! I can't believe Xander took us to Luigi's. But...Buffy just wasn't into it. Dr. Raine had to practically _make_ her go. If they hadn't been planning to move Faith to a private room down the hall, I don't think she would've been able to get Buffy to leave at all."

Tara reached over and touched Dawn's arm. "She's just worried about Faith. You know she's still kind of..." She paused to consider her wording. "..._attached_ to her right now."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "She's not 'attached.' She's _in love_," she blurted out before slapping her hand over her mouth. When she removed it, she said, "Crap. I wasn't supposed to say anything."

"It's okay," Tara told her. "I already knew."

"What? Did she tell you? When did she tell you? She didn't tell me she told you."

"She didn't tell me. I saw it in her aura. But...she told you?"

"I kinda guessed. But I made her tell me the truth." Dawn's expression became distraught. "What if Faith doesn't make it? She looked _sooo_ bad when I saw her. If she dies, Buffy's gonna fall apart, I just know it, and she's not really all that 'together' right now as it is. I mean, we didn't even talk about Willow at dinner last night because we knew it would upset Buffy-not because Willow's leaving but because of what Willow did to Faith. And I don't get it. Willow's her _best friend_. Shouldn't she be worried about her, too? God, this is so messed up."

Tara got up and pulled Dawn into hug. "Everything's gonna be okay, sweetie, I promise."

"You can't promise that," Dawn replied, wiping at the tears trickling from her eyes.

"I know, but I'm supposed to say it anyway." Tara gave her a final squeeze and a smile and let her go.

Dawn returned the smile then asked, "Are you going to your classes today?"

"No, I wanna stay home and get as much 'Willow time' as I can before she has to leave."

"What about _her_ classes?"

"She'll have to drop them, I guess. The college has a pretty strict attendance policy. If she misses too many classes, she'll cut out. The safest thing would be to just withdraw from school completely and pick up fresh next semester."

"Speaking of school, I guess I better get going." Dawn stood up and retrieved her backpack from the floor.

"Do you want me to drive you?"

"No, I think I'll walk. Is it okay if I go directly to the hospital after school?"

"Sure. Do you have lunch money?"

"Yep. If I'm lucky, it'll be pizza day and not mystery meat day. See you later!"

After a quick wave, Dawn was gone, and Tara was alone. She sighed deeply and stared off for a moment, lost in heavy thoughts. Then she glanced at the clock and began collecting the breakfast dishes.

**Cut To:**

**Hyatt Hotel - Lobby - Same Time**

Dr. Raine stood in the cavernous hotel lobby, hands clasped behind her as she pretended to watch the annoying morning program that was showing on the wall television. She had endured ten minutes of inane jabbering about celebrities, diets, and fashion when she finally caught sight of Giles walking in the front entrance, pulling his rolling suitcase behind him. She smiled and walked over to meet him.

"Rupert," she called out, waving at him to get his attention.

"Vicky," he replied with a smile when he saw her.

The older watcher held out her arms and embraced him. He happily returned the warm hug.

"Good to see you," she said before clapping him on the back and releasing him. "It's been too long."

"Indeed it has," Giles agreed.

"How was your flight?" she asked as he headed toward the bell service desk.

"A horror," he said as he pulled his luggage to a stop in front of the waiting bellboy. "Would you hold these for me until I check in later today?" he asked the young man.

"Yes, sir," the bellboy replied. "Be glad to."

After receiving his claim ticket, Giles turned back to Dr. Raine to explain about his flight. "I should say that the flights themselves were fine. It was the _airports_ that were the nightmare. My connection in Washington was inexplicably delayed, turning my two-hour layover into six. The rental car desks at LAX were all overbooked and understaffed. I was beginning to think that I'd have to rent a mo-ped just to get here."

Dr. Raine gave a hearty laugh in reply. "Oh dear."

"Hopefully things won't be so bad on the way back," he continued. "I was able to get direct flights for the return. I've got tickets for myself and Willow early tomorrow morning."

"Excellent," Dr. Raine said. "Now then, why don't I treat you to breakfast? The restaurant here is actually quite good."

"That would be wonderful," he said gratefully as they headed toward the restaurant. "I've been living on miniscule portions of peanuts and pretzels for the last twenty-four hours."

**Cut To:**

**Hyatt Hotel - Restaurant - A Few Minutes Later**

Once the two watchers had been seated and their orders taken and their drinks provided, Giles sobered and met his friend's eyes. "Tell me: How's Faith?"

"She's stable. She gave the staff a scare when she was initially brought in. Her heart rate spiked in the ambulance and in the emergency room, but they were able to shock her heart back into its normal rhythm. There's been no sign of any cardiac issues since."

"Has she woken up?"

"No, she's still in a coma. Which makes it difficult to assess the effects of her back injury. The orthopedic surgeon says that her spinal cord _is_ intact, but it was damaged by the pressure of the fractured vertebrae. Until she regains consciousness, there's no way to know how her mobility may be affected."

Giles frowned for a moment then asked, "And how is Willow doing?"

"As well as can be expected," Dr. Raine replied. "She's overwhelmed by guilt and suffering terribly from withdrawal. Tara called me late last night. She's concerned about how Willow will handle being on the plane for so many hours. I assured her that I would provide some medication that Willow can take to ease her anxiety and to help her sleep on the flight."

"Good. That's good. I was going to ask you about that." Then his eyes lit up with a bit of twinkle. "Then again, the way my last flight went, _I_ may need some anxiety medicine."

As they shared a chuckle, the waitress returned with their orders. They thanked her and dug in.

"I blame myself for all of this," Giles admitted after he'd eaten in silence for a time. "I shouldn't have left them. They're just children really, and I left them to deal with the hellmouth on their own, with nothing more than a robotic replica to serve as a slayer. If' I'd stayed, perhaps I could've recognized Willow's addiction, stopped it from occurring before the Fury could-"

"You were _grieving_, Rupert. You'd lost your slayer. Nothing's worse for a watcher than that."

Giles looked away for a moment. "Still...the fault lies deeper than that. If I'd _trained_ Willow in the craft instead of avoiding it because of my own weaknesses..."

"...then Buffy might not be alive," Dr. Raine pointed out. "As much as we curse the dangerous magicks that Willow used, they _did_ bring Buffy back."

Giles smiled and shook his head. "I still can't believe she's alive."

"Well, she is. I can testify to that fact. I must admit, though, when I first met her, I wrongfully concluded that she was the 'Buffybot' Quentin had told me about. Tara had neglected to mention Buffy's return when she called me from the hospital. So, naturally, when I arrived and saw the spitting image of Buffy Summers before me..." She let Giles' imagination fill in the rest before adding, "I like Buffy. I really do. She's exactly as you always described her. I can see why Quentin has found her so exasperating."

"After that disastrous Cruciamentum he made me perform, I didn't think Buffy would ever trust me again, but she did. She has a remarkably compassionate nature. I never did understand how she could still love Angel after all he had done. She was much less forgiving when it came to Faith, however."

"Death and resurrection have apparently softened her where Faith is concerned. She's taking Faith's condition quite hard. She leaves her side only under duress."

"Really?" Giles asked, furrowing his brow in surprise. "She rarely even visited Faith during her first coma, as far as I know."

"Are you _sure_ there wasn't anything going on between those two back then?"

"You mean _romantically_?" he asked with more than a little incredulity. After a nod of affirmation from Dr. Raine, he thought for moment and then shook his head again. "I'm no longer sure of anything."

Their meals finished, they signaled for their checks. Dr. Raine signed both tickets, charging the orders to her room.

"Would you like to rest a while before going to the hospital?" she asked as they got to their feet. "I've reserved a room for you near mine. I'm sure we could arrange for an early check-in."

"No, I'd like to see Buffy first. I, um, I need to _see_ her. With my own eyes, as it were. I don't think it will feel 'real' until I do. I'd like to see Faith, too, of course."

"As you wish," she answered. Then the two of them headed for the exit.

**Cut To:**

**ICU - Faith's New Room - A Short Time Later**

Dr. Raine gave a small rap on the door. When she heard Buffy answer, she entered with Giles following behind her.

As soon as Buffy saw her watcher, she rushed over to hug him. "Giles! Thank god you're here," she said as she cried against his chest.

Giles wrapped his arms around the sobbing slayer. "There, there," he said softly blinking back his own tears. "Everything will be right as rain...you'll see..."

As Dr. Raine watched this exchange, she couldn't help but remember the conversation she'd had with her brother after Buffy's Cruciamentum-and the scathing critique he'd made of the newly-terminated watcher:

_"He has a father's love for his slayer, rendering him completely and utterly useless to the cause. Watchers must be impartial and immovable. Rupert Giles is neither. Good riddance, I say."_

Even if she hadn't known her brother was wrong then, she would have realized it now. Seeing the bond between Giles and Buffy confirmed a belief that Dr. Raine had long held: Slayers need emotional connections like any other human being does. Rob them of those connections, and you weaken them, not strengthen them.

For his own part, Giles couldn't even contemplate such matters at the moment. All he knew right then was that Buffy was alive. The slayer that he'd lost, that he'd mourned for months, was back.

He pulled out of the embrace and just stared at Buffy for the longest time. Then he reached up and gently touched her face as if conducting a final test of her realness. Eventually he stepped back.

"Are you all right?" he asked. "From what I've been told, your, um, resurrection was, well, not pleasant."

Buffy frowned at the memory then said, "I'm okay. I wasn't at first, but Faith helped me." A small smile lit up her face. "She helped me a lot. I don't think I would've made it through that first night if she hadn't been with me." When she turned back toward the hospital bed, her smile fell away.

Giles followed Buffy's gaze until he saw Faith in the bed. He felt his stomach clench as he took in the sight of the girl's pale comatose form. He may not have bonded with Faith as he had with Buffy, but he wasn't immune to the dark slayer's pain. It wasn't fair, he thought. Not when she'd come so far.

"She truly has changed, hasn't she?" Giles asked.

"Yes, she has," Buffy answered. "I know she has. The others didn't want to believe it, _especially Willow_."

Giles noticed the change in Buffy's tone when she'd spoken her best friend's name. Dr. Raine had already warned him of Buffy's determination to lay the blame for Faith's injuries squarely at Willow's feet, Fury or not.

"Understandable, though," he noted. "Xander, Dawn, and Willow...they have very personal reasons for doubting Faith's sincerity. Still...Willow's reactions were clearly excessive."

Buffy gave him a sarcastic glare. "Clearly."

"Well, we have a lot to discuss," Dr. Raine said, interrupting. "And I think it best that we do that elsewhere."

"Elsewhere as in _not here_?" Buffy asked, fidgeting uncomfortably. "Why?"

"Although it's not universally accepted," Dr. Raine explained, "most doctors believe that a comatose patient is partially aware of what goes on around her, at least on a subconscious level. Therefore, it's recommended that family, friends, and medical personnel keep all in-room conversations on the positive side. If they have something negative to say, they're advised to take it outside the patient's presence."

"I guess you're not here for a pep talk, then," Buffy commented.

"We won't keep you long," Giles told her, "but we do need to discuss the events that put Faith here-and the steps that we must take in response."

"Okay," Buffy said but with obvious reluctance in her voice.

She walked back to the side of the hospital bed. Even though Faith's eyes were closed, Buffy leaned over to look into the slayer's face. She reached up and caressed Faith's hair.

"Gotta go do the watchers confab thing," she told her. Then her expression melted into a heartfelt but bittersweet smile as she caressed Faith's hair. "I'll be back soon, I promise."

Dr. Raine tilted her head toward the two slayers and gave Giles a pointed look as if she were saying, "See what I mean?"

He nodded in reply.

Once Buffy had made her good-byes, the three left the room.

**Cut To:**

**Hospital Courtyard - Moments Later**

As she had done with Tara the day before, Dr. Raine led them to the beautifully landscaped courtyard that lay between the main wings of the hospital. Once there, they sat down at one of the picnic tables to discuss the current situation.

"I know you're uncomfortable talking about it," Giles began, "but we need to discuss the night Faith was hurt and why it happened."

"It happened because Willow attacked her," Buffy said.

"Yes, but only because of the Fury's influence," Giles replied.

Buffy folded her arms, not pleased with the direction this conversation was taking.

"We believe," said Dr. Raine, "that the Fury was sent for the specific purpose of making Willow attack and probably kill Faith. The question is why."

"Uh, 'cause Evil Incorporated hates evil-fighting slayers?" Buffy quipped.

Giles smiled then sobered. "It's possible that this was just a standard attack, but it doesn't _feel_ like it."

Buffy's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Something _big_ is brewing...gotta be. Which reminds me...I had a slayer dream last night."

"You did?" Giles asked excitedly. "What was it like? Describe it."

"Remember how the Spirit of the First Slayer attacked us in our dreams after we did that enjoining spell?"

Giles ran his fingertips along the top of his forehead. "Unfortunately, yes."

"Well, she came to see me last night, but _in Faith's body_. She was her usual aggressive 'we are alone' self, but then..."

"Then...what?" Dr. Raine prompted when Buffy glanced away and trailed off.

Buffy glanced back and leaned forward onto the tabletop. "She said, 'We are afraid.' Then there was a flash of lightning, and I saw the spirits of hundreds of slayers around her. And then I woke up."

Giles and Dr. Raine traded very concerned looks.

"Well, I think we can guess what part of the endgame is," Dr. Raine said.

"They're going to attack the slayer line itself," Giles added.

"But how?" Dr. Raine asked. "And how does this recent attack on Faith via the Fury fit in?"

Giles answered, "My guess is that they wanted the Hellmouth to be undefended, or at the very least, defended only by a newly-called slayer, so that their greater plan might proceed unhindered. What puzzles me, though, is the timing of the attack with respect to Buffy's resurrection. Are the two events connected somehow?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure Faith and I arrived in Sunnydale at almost exactly the same time," Buffy said. "I don't think that's a coincidence.

"I concur," said Dr. Raine.

"If Buffy's resurrection and the attack on Faith _are_ connected," Giles asked, "then why wasn't Buffy targeted as well? If not by Fury, then by some other means?"

Buffy gave an uncertain shrug. "Maybe the attack on Faith was already planned, whether I came on the scene or not. Then again, maybe they're plotting against me as we speak." She rolled her eyes wearily. "Like that's anything new."

The three paused to think for a moment. Eventually Dr. Raine broke the silence.

"Whatever the case," she said, "we can't afford to wait and see, which is why Tara and I will be developing an 'Anti-Fury' spell. It should provide protection against the influence of any additional Furies. If Evil wants to attack us, they will have to come at us directly, which they may not be willing to do since their attack on Faith has failed and since you're now here."

"Or maybe they'll try even harder so that they can get Faith while she's down," Buffy countered. "I mean, the slayer line runs through her now, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Dr. Raine confirmed. "When you died closing Glory's portal, no new slayer was called. As far as the Council knows, at any rate."

Buffy got up and began backing toward the hospital entrance. "Then Faith needs to be protected at all times. They may be planning to use her death to affect the slayer line, and I am _not_ going to let that happen." She turned and sprinted off. "Bring me weapons!" she called over her shoulder.

After Buffy dashed away, Dr. Raine and Giles also headed for the hospital entrance, but slowly so that they could talk along the way.

"I see what you mean about Buffy," Giles noted. "She seems, um, quite attached to Faith. Very protective, and obviously not just out of slayer duty."

"Can you remember anything from their past that might suggest a relationship that went beyond the platonic?" Dr. Raine asked.

"No, but I haven't had time to actually reflect. The truth is, I didn't really _want_ to know about my slayers' love lives. Every watcher has his or her own strengths. Managing the emotional drama and romantic entanglements of a gang of hormonal teens is _not_ one of mine."

He and Dr. Raine shared a chuckle before Giles went on.

"But now, looking back...if Buffy and Faith had been involved, it certainly would explain a few things."

"Precisely," Dr. Raine replied. "I'm quite certain that Faith has strong feelings for Buffy. Of what kind, I cannot say. I do know that she was devastated when Buffy died."

"You said that she felt it the moment it happened."

Dr. Raine nodded. "They obviously share some kind of connection. And apparently they've been growing close the last few days. Tara told me that she had noticed a change in their auras when they were around one another."

The two watchers were quiet for a moment before Giles spoke up again.

"Keep an eye on them. That's all you can do," he suggested. Then his lips twitched into a smirk. "Would it be crass of me to say, 'I'm glad it's _your_ responsibility and not mine'?"

"It _certainly_ would," Dr. Raine answered, giving him a mock glare.

"I shan't say it, then," he added with a teasing grin as they headed toward ICU.

**Cut To:**

**ICU - Faith's New Room - A Short Time Later**

After leaving Dr. Raine at the nurses station, Giles returned to Faith's room. When he joined her next to Faith's bed, Buffy moved over to make room for him. When he took Faith's hand in his and leaned over to speak with the sleeping slayer, Buffy moved to the end of the bed to give them some semblance of privacy.

"Hello, Faith. It's Rupert Giles. I'm glad to see you...although, naturally, I'd prefer it weren't under such circumstances. Vicky has had nothing but good words for you. I'm sure the praise will continue once you've recovered and resumed your duties. I, um, I'm sorry for my part in all this. If I'd trained Willow properly..."

As Giles trailed off, not completing his thought, Buffy crossed her arms tightly. After a moment, Giles resumed.

"I promise you, she'll get that training now." He squeezed the slayer's hand. "Come back to us, Faith. You're needed...and, most importantly, you're missed." He glanced briefly at Buffy. She swallowed hard and looked away but kept her arms crossed.

Giles released Faith's hand and walked over to Buffy at the end of the bed.

"I'm glad you're taking Willow away," she said fiercely before amending her statement. "To get help, I mean."

Though she'd meant well and even uncrossed her arms, her correction only sounded hollow, even to herself. Suddenly, her mind flashed back to the moment when a dark-eyed Willow had gleefully blasted Faith with her magic. Buffy's anger returned in force.

"She's just too dangerous. If I had to see her now..." Buffy clenched her fists and paced the small area at the end of the bed. "I-I-I don't know what I'd do."

Carefully Giles stepped into his slayer's path. Then he gently told her, "Buffy...you need to remember that it was lack of forgiveness-the inability to accept someone else's true repentance-that made Willow vulnerable to the Fury's influence. Don't repeat her mistake."

"You weren't there, Giles! You didn't see her! _I'm_ not the one who's hyped up on dark magic!"

Giles made a calming gesture with his hands. "No, no, you aren't, but you _do_ have great power-power that can harm just as much as Willow's can."

Buffy made no indication she was open to listening.

"Just think about what I've said," he told her.

END OF PART 17A

**PART 17B**

**Fade In:**

**Summers Home - Tuesday Mid-Afternoon**

Later that day, after they knew Tara would be home from her classes, Dr. Raine and Giles headed to the Summers home to speak with Willow and Tara, to confirm the details of their travel plans. After a brief but warm embrace from Tara, Giles got a soggy, sob-filled, guilt-laden hug from Willow. Once the tears had passed and Tara had supplied them with cups of tea, they all sat down at the dining room table. Willow and Tara sat on the side opposite the living room. Giles sat on the short end nearest the kitchen, on the other side of Willow. Dr. Raine sat across from Willow.

After thanking Tara for the tea, Giles turned to Willow. "Dr. Raine has told me that you've agreed to accompany me back to England."

"I don't really want to," Willow admitted, "but I guess I have to. It's just...I'll have to withdraw from college...I'll have to leave Tara..." At the last, she trailed off, unable to prevent new tears from streaming down her face.

Tara reached over to touch Willow's left shoulder. "It'll be okay, baby. We'll talk every day, I promise."

"I know it will be difficult," Giles said, "but it's the right thing to do. And I believe you'll like Althenea very much."

When Willow reluctantly nodded, Giles went on.

"Our flight will leave LAX at 8:00 tomorrow morning. We'll-"

"That soon?!" Willow exclaimed. She scrambled for suitable objections. "But...I-I-I haven't even packed. I'll need to talk to my parents, call the school. I-"

Giles took Willow's right hand in both of his. "Willow, the longer we wait, the harder it will be for you to leave."

Willow tried to continue protesting, but she knew he was right. She slumped in her chair, resigned to her fate. "All right."

Giles released her hand. "We'll have to leave here quite early, before sunrise in fact, and we'll-"

"On one condition," Willow suddenly interjected, surprising everyone, including Tara.

"What's that, dear?" Dr. Raine asked.

Willow sat up straight in her chair and put on her 'resolve face.' It wasn't her most potent version of the expression, but it was powerful nonetheless. Then she announced, "I want to see Faith before I leave."

Tara, Giles, and Dr. Raine traded worried looks.

**Fade To:**

**ICU - Faith's New Room - Later That Afternoon**

After school had let out, Dawn had walked directly to the hospital to be with Buffy while she kept vigil at Faith's bedside. Dawn had noticed that her sister was more than a little nervous. Every time someone knocked at the door, Buffy would stand and then reach inside her jacket for the stake Dr. Raine had brought her before she would call out an answer.

When yet another knock came at the door, Dawn rose instead and motioned Buffy back to her seat. "Let me get it before you accidentally stake the station nurse."

When Dawn answered the door, she squealed in excitement. "Giles!"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Take it outside..."

Dawn bounced into the hall where Giles was standing with Dr. Raine.

"Hello, Dawn," Giles greeted before being wrapped in a surprisingly strong teen bear hug. "Oomph!"

"Giles! I'm so glad you're here!"

"Thank you. It's good to see you as well," he grunted until Dawn released him. After catching his breath, he asked, "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Dawn answered.

"A-A-And Buffy?" Giles asked, tilting his head toward the door.

"Nervous," she said. When she saw the two watchers exchange a glance, Dawn became suspicious. "What's going on?"

"We need you to go inside and get Buffy to come into the hallway," Dr. Raine told her.

"Why?"

Just then Tara and Willow walked around the corner.

"Oh," Dawn said.

"Without telling her that Willow's out here," Giles added.

"Ohhh-kaaaay..." Dawn agreed with a wary shrug.

As Dawn returned to the room, Willow slipped behind Tara, hiding herself from view. After a few moments, Dawn came out with Buffy, who went straight to Giles.

"What's going on?" Buffy asked. "Has something happened?"

"No, but-"

Before Giles could complete his reply, Buffy caught sight of Willow peeking over Tara's shoulder.

"What is _she_ doing here?" Buffy instantly demanded.

"She wants to see Faith before she leaves for England," Giles explained.

Buffy backed into a defensive position in front of the door. "No. I don't want her anywhere _near_ Faith. She almost killed her the last time she saw her!"

Willow stepped forward, crying. "I'm not going to hurt her, Buffy. I swear."

"The Fury that made her hurt Faith...it's gone," Tara explained. "We banished it."

"But you haven't done that other spell yet. There could be another Fury, and _you_ wouldn't know," Buffy said, pointing at Tara.

"Yes, I would," Tara assured. "I know what to look for now. There's no Fury."

"Please, Buffy..." Willow begged.

"It wasn't all her fault," Dawn interceded. "She's sorry for what she did."

"She _should_ be sorry!" Buffy shot back.

Dawn moved so that she could stand directly in front of her sister. She waited until Buffy met her gaze. "You're not being fair," she told her gently. "You want us to forgive Faith for everything she did, but you're not willing to forgive Willow."

Buffy's eyes filled with tears as her rage began to falter. "How can I when Faith is still-" She stopped when her voice became choked.

After an intense moment, Giles stepped closer. "It will only take a few minutes. Tara and I will go with her and stay with her the entire time."

Dr. Raine added, "You can wait right here by the open door in full view."

Realizing she was outnumbered, Buffy reluctantly stepped aside to allow Giles, Tara, Willow, and Dr. Raine to enter the room. Clenching her fists, she stood watch from the doorway, her expression fluctuating between anger and fear. Dawn moved behind her and rested her hand on her back.

When the visitors reached the center of the room, Giles stepped back to allow Willow and Tara to move to the bedside. Willow, though, stopped in her tracks when she saw Faith.

"Oh god..." she said.

Tara gasped as well, moved by the sight of the injured slayer.

Willow couldn't make herself step any closer. "Faith...I'm so sorry..." she wailed. "I wish I could take it all back...God, I wish I could take it all back..."

As Buffy watched this take place, her mind warred with itself over how to feel. One part of her kept reliving the horror of the attack; it screamed at her to shove Willow from the room before she could hurt Faith again. Another part of her ached for her best friend, who was so clearly distraught over what she had done.

When Willow began to sob, Tara pulled her into a hug. A few moments later, Giles and Dr. Raine ushered the couple toward the exit. As the group passed through the doorway, Willow tried to meet her friend's eyes, but Buffy wouldn't even look at her, which only made Willow cry harder.

As soon as everyone had crossed the threshhold, Buffy rushed into the room and shut the door. She walked a few feet away, wrapped her arms around herself, and let her own sobs come. A few seconds later, Dawn came back in and hugged her, trying to comfort her.

**Fade To:**

**Summers Home - Willow and Tara's Bedroom - Later That Night**

After leaving the hospital, Willow and Tara had returned to the house to snuggle and decompress. Then they had started making a to-do list for Willow's travel. Later that evening, Xander and Anya had picked up Dawn and brought her home. The five of them had eaten supper together and then visited for a time. After Xander and Anya had left, Willow began the arduous task of packing for an international trip of unknown length.

At the moment, Willow moved as if in a trance. She packed a few items, then stopped and stared off, looking miserable. Then she packed a few more items before zoning out again, this time with tears trickling down her face.

"Do you want Tweety?"

Tara's voice broke Willow out of her daze, and she turned to the blonde, who was holding up a large t-shirt with Tweety Bird on it.

"Do you want to take your Tweety Bird t-shirt with you? I know you like to sleep in it."

Willow absently swiped at the tears on her cheeks before returning to her packing. "Yeah, sure."

Tara set the shirt aside, came over to Willow, took her face in her hands, and kissed her. "Oh, sweetie, everything will be okay."

"No, it won't," Willow cried. "It won't ever be okay again. Faith is, is...E-E-Even if she wakes up, she may not be right. She could be paralyzed or worse."

Tara gripped Willow's arms to emphasize her point. "Faith is a slayer, and her super-healing has already pulled off one miracle. There's no reason to think it can't do that again."

Willow pulled away and walked toward the dresser. "Unless it got used up the first time."

"You know it doesn't work that way," Tara said gently.

"Plus, Buffy hates me."

"She doesn't hate you."

"She does, and she should," Willow said, turning back to Tara. "I ripped out of her heaven, made her come back to a place that only hurts her. Then I suggested that we tamper with her memories without her permission. Then I went berserk and nearly killed Faith, who for some odd reason seems to be the only person that Buffy can stand being around. No wonder she couldn't look at me today."

"She's just upset about Faith. Once Faith is better and Buffy's had more time to recover from being resurrected, things will be different. You'll see."

Willow seemed to consider this and gave a small shrug. Then her voice took on a bitterness, but only for herself. "Yeah, maybe once she's over her 'Faith fixation,' she'll upgrade me from raging hate to mere loathing."

Tara walked over to Willow. "First of all, let me repeat once again: Buffy does _not_ hate you. She's just..._afraid_, so afraid."

"Y-Y-You can see that?"

Tara nodded. "And I can also see that what Buffy feels for Faith isn't just some post-traumatic 'fixation.' It's _real_, Will. And I'm pretty sure Faith feels the same way about her."

Willow's expression went from incomprehension to disbelief to shock, then back around to guilt. "God...I don't understand any of this..."

"I know," Tara said, pulling her into a warm hug. "I know."

**Cut To:**

**Hyatt Hotel - Dr. Raine's Suite - Same Time**

Dr. Raine filled the two complimentary hotel glasses with two fingers of scotch each and brought them over to the sofa, where Giles was sitting. The doctor sank wearily into the chair opposite Giles.

"I don't know about you," she said, lifting her glass, "but I think I need about a dozen of these."

Giles chuckled and took a sip. "Mmmm...very nice."

"One of the few sentiments upon which Quentin and I completely agree: Life is too short to settle for cheap scotch."

"Hear, hear!" Giles affirmed, raising his glass in toast.

Soon their cheer gave way to somberness. Giles noticed the heavy furrows in his friend's brow.

"You're worried."

"Yes. Very. And I have good reason to be." She leaned forward and set her glass on the coffee table. "We're at a critical juncture. Our foes have declared an open season on slayers and used our own ally to do it. One slayer lies comatose in a hospital bed, showing no signs of waking up. The other is traumatized from her own resurrection, clinging to hope above an abyss of despair. And our only other 'big gun,' as Anya so quaintly described her, is going into magic rehab a thousand miles away for an indeterminate period of time."

"Well, when you put it like that, it sounds so depressing," Giles teased. "Perhaps we should just surrender now."

Dr. Raine shot him a mock glare and pulled her shoulders back in defiance. "I'm just summarizing the situation. I'm not sending up a white flag."

"I'd never expect you to," he added with a smile.

"But I am concerned that we might be playing directly into Evil's hands."

"In what way?"

"By sending Willow to England." When Giles started to object, she cut him off. "Just hear me out for a moment. If we assume that Sunday's events were carefully orchestrated by our enemies, what was the absolute best outcome they hoped for? Thanks to their Fury, a magically-high Willow attacks Faith and kills her. Out of grief or vengeance or just to reign in an out-of-control witch, Buffy retaliates, inciting Willow further. The two best friends battle to the death. Even if one manages to survive, it's likely that she'll be crippled by guilt over what she's done. It's also likely that the Council may consider taking custodial action. Either way, the end result is the same: a Hellmouth undefended by anyone of consequence until the newly-called slayer can be located and brought to Sunnydale."

"Leaving them free to take the next step in their plan. Dear lord...that's devious."

"Indeed. It's ingenious, actually, because it works with or without Buffy's presence. Even if Buffy hadn't been resurrected, Willow still might have killed Faith and still been sent away. Or she might have been so consumed by her guilt that she took her own life, especially if the Fury hadn't been banished. Or worst-case scenario, Willow is corrupted and joins the other side."

Giles expression became frightened, and he thought intently for a moment. "So...are you saying that we should attempt Willow's rehabilitation _here_ rather than send her away?"

Dr. Raine shook her head. "No. The temptation to sink deeper into black magic would most assuredly be too much for Willow here. Her actions would all be well-intentioned, of course, but the effect would be the same. We'd lose her, one way or another."

"Then...what are you suggesting?"

"I believe Buffy is the key. I agree with her assessment: The timing of her arrival was _not_ a coincidence, but I doubt very seriously that our enemies had anything to do with that. After all, it'd be insanity to bring in another slayer. Luckily for them, though, their most recent plan could proceed even with Buffy here. Luckily for us, the plan wasn't successful-Faith didn't die, and Buffy and Willow didn't slip into a death match."

"So...what are you proposing?"

"It's time for Buffy to 'get back in the game,' as it were. No more disabled list, no more bench-warming. And in keeping with my sports metaphor, it's also time for a certain minor leaguer named Tara Maclay to 'step up to the plate'."

"You've been watching American baseball again, haven't you?"

Dr. Raine merely grinned.

**Fade Out.**

**Fade In:**

**Summers Home - Driveway - Wednesday Before Sunrise**

While Giles and Xander were stowing Willow's luggage in the trunk of Giles' rental car, Dr. Raine and Dawn were standing with Willow and Tara. Willow was tightly clasping Tara's hand. No one spoke of Buffy's conspicuous and keenly felt absence.

"Okay, you're set," Xander announced as he closed the trunk. "You and G-Man are ready to hit the interstate."

"Well, I guess this is it," Willow said nervously as she reluctantly released Tara's hand in preparation for the final farewells.

Dawn rushed forward first and wrapped Willow into a hug. "I'll miss you, so come back soon, okay?"

"I will," Willow promised.

Xander was next. He pulled his best friend into his arms and just held her for the longest time without saying anything. When he felt her breath catch against his chest, he pulled her even closer. Finally, he gave her an extra squeeze and let her go. "Sorry for the monopoly," he said to the others. "Had to get a double-dose of Willow-hug to last me." He flashed his friend a smile.

Willow was too choked up to answer, so she just smiled back at him.

Dr. Raine then stepped forward and lightly grasped the witch's arms. "You're doing the right thing, Willow. I'm proud of you. Trust Giles. Trust Althenea. They can help."

"Okay," Willow said.

Then redhead turned to the woman beside her. The moment she had dreaded the most was now here: she had to say goodbye to Tara. She couldn't hold back the tears any longer. She burst into sobs and fell into Tara's embrace.

"Oh, Tara...I'm gonna miss you...so much...I don't...wanna leave you..." she hiccupped out between sobs.

"I know, baby," Tara said, crying with her. "I'm gonna miss you, too." Then she pulled back, cupped Willow's face in her hands, and kissed her fervently. "We've been over this before, though, right? You're strong...strong like an amazon. You can do this. _We_ can do this." She began nodding her head, encouraging Willow to follow suit.

"We can do this," Willow repeated.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Tara gave Willow one final hug before releasing her and then quickly moving several yards away, as if she needed the physical distance to keep herself from scooping Willow up and begging her not to go. Xander and Dawn eased in on both sides of the blonde; each put an arm around her to shore her up.

Giles moved to stand beside Willow but directed his gaze at Dr. Raine. "I'll call you as soon as we've landed."

She smiled and said, "Give Al my love. Tell her I'll fax her the Anti-Fury spell once it's ready."

"We'll be on our way then," Giles said before guiding Willow toward the car and getting her settled into the passenger seat. Within minutes, the two were pulling out of the drive and heading down the street.

As Dawn led Tara toward the house, Xander still stared at the retreating rental car, shaking his head. "Can't believe Buffy didn't come. I mean, she couldn't tear herself away from 'Faith-watch' for fifteen minutes to say good-bye to her best friend?"

"She's doing the best that she can, Xander," Dr. Raine said gently, giving him a few pats on the back.

He sighed heavily then admitted, "I know...I know."

**Cut To:**

**Rental Car -A Short Time Later**

For the first hour of the drive, Willow had cried incessantly, unable to contain her emotions, especially her grief at being separated from Tara. Giles had felt completely helpless. All he could do was squeeze her hand or arm every now and then and tell her everything would be okay.

"I'm sorry about the blubbering," Willow said when her crying finally subsided for a time.

"It's all right," he replied. "It's understandable, given what you're going through."

"I don't know how I'm gonna do this, Giles," she said, beginning to sniffle again. "I'm a total mess. At the rate I'm going, I won't even make it through airport security. I'll be all red-faced and puffy, shaking like a crackhead in detox, acting nervous and paranoid. I'll probably end up in some kind of 'potential terrorist observation room'. Even if I make it out of LAX and off to England, Althenea won't be able to teach me anything. I'll be too busy blubbering and babbling all the time."

"You'll be fine," Giles told her firmly. "You're stronger than you know."

Willow nodded, allowing herself to feel a tiny bit of reassurance in his words.

"And I'll be with you, every step of the way," he promised. "Like I should have been from the beginning," he ruefully added. "I'm sorry for that."

Willow was confused. "Sorry for what?"

"For not properly guiding you in your magic when you first started out," he answered.

Willow gave a guilty shrug. "It's not _your_ fault. You warned me about dabbling, but I just kept on dabbling..."

"Still, I, um, I should have done better. I should have encouraged you, taught you, instead of leaving you to your own devices. The truth is...I was afraid."

"Afraid? Of what I might do?" Willow asked in a pained voice. "I was that bad?"

"No, of course not. I feared my own addiction. Ethan and I and the others were in very deep when we raised Eyghon. When our friend Randall was killed during the ritual, I was shocked back into some semblance of sensibility. I tried to break free from the magic, but I couldn't. Luckily, the Council took me back in. They got me the help I needed."

"From Althenea?"

"No, not from her directly but from the Coven in Devon. That _was_ when I met Al for the first time, though. She was just beginning her novitiate there."

Both Giles and Willow were quiet for time. Then Giles spoke up again.

"At any rate, my point is that I was afraid of how I was going to handle being exposed to active magic use. As a watcher with a slayer, I had to do _some_ casting. I couldn't avoid it completely-not and be able to do my job. But I-I-I didn't trust myself, you see...I didn't want to make it a regular practice, and training you would have certainly led to that. I suppose I was afraid that one thing would lead to another, and I'd slip into my former habits. It's no excuse, but do you understand?"

"I do," Willow replied sympathetically. "I'm glad you told me. It always hurt a little that you never wanted to teach me."

"I am truly sorry."

"Yeah, me too," Willow said sadly.

At that, the two grew quiet again and were silent the rest of the way to Los Angeles.

END OF PART 17B

**PART 17C**

**Fade In:**

**ICU - Faith's New Room - Wednesday Later That Morning**

After making rounds and then conferring with Faith's other doctors, Dr. Raine returned to the ICU floor to see Buffy.

"Hello, Buffy," she greeted as she entered the room. "Did you get some breakfast this morning?"

Buffy winced. "Does an out-of-date vending machine Danish count?"

Dr. Raine gave a murmur of disapproval. "Not particularly. But that's all right. You can make up for it when you go out."

"Out?" Buffy asked warily.

"Yes, I have an errand I'd like for you to run." When she saw Buffy glance at Faith as if reluctant to leave her, Dr. Raine added, "Faith will be having a series of tests and scans shortly, so there's no reason for you to remain camped out here while she's gone."

"How long will all that take?"

"A couple of hours at least, depending on the queues."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Go to Faith's motel room. I need you to pack up her belongings, check her out of the motel, and bring her things back here."

"Okay. I can do that."

"Faith's keys," Dr. Raine said as she handed over a key chain. "They were in her pocket when she was brought in."

Buffy took the keys and stared at the golden medallion that matched Faith's motorcycle. She smiled as she remembered the ride they had taken together on Sunday before Faith went on patrol. When she looked up, Dr. Raine was holding another set of keys.

"Faith may have more things than you can comfortably carry, so here are the keys to my car. It's the dark blue Toyota Corolla in the reserved parking lot. It still has the staff placard for the women's penitentiary. Can't miss it."

"It's not a stick, is it?" Buffy made some incomprehensible motions with her left foot and right hand. " 'Cause I never really got the hang of the whole clutchy, shifty, geary thing. My dad tried to teach me but..."

"No, it's an automatic."

"Good," Buffy said in a relieved voice as she took the keys from Dr. Raine's hand. "Driving is complicated enough as it is."

Just for a moment, Dr. Raine looked worried, as if she should reconsider letting the slayer drive her car, but she shook the feeling off and moved on, handing Buffy a small stack of twenties.

"Here's some cash in case there's a balance on Faith's motel bill," she instructed. Then she pinned Buffy with a semi-stern gaze. "And while you're out, _get something decent to eat_."

Buffy rolled her eyes as she tucked the money into her pocket. "Yesssss, Motherrrr..." she drawled.

"Not you, too," Dr. Raine said in a long-suffering tone as she shook her head. "Slayers..."

**Cut To:**

**Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) - Same Time**

Giles and Willow had checked their luggage and made it through security. With boarding passes in hand, they were now waiting at the gate for their flight. As Giles coolly leaned against the wall, Willow paced back and forth in front of him, wringing her hands.

She knew that once she boarded that plane, there would be no turning back. It was a direct flight, with no connections or layovers. Once it was in the air, she'd be trapped, no escape.

Willow's internal worrying was interrupted when Giles reached out and stopped her pacing.

"It's almost time for boarding," he said. "You must calm yourself."

"I'm trying!" she whispered urgently.

"Have you taken the pills Vicky prescribed?"

Willow glanced away guiltily.

"Willow..." Giles began to chide.

"I don't like taking pills," she argued. "Plus, I've already got one addiction. I don't need another one."

"It's only one dose. Just for the flight. You'll be fine."

Willow's voice became panicked. "But...but...i-i-it'll make me fuzzy-headed, put me in a haze. I-I-I won't be able to concentrate or-or focus in case I have to-"

"-cast?" Giles finished when Willow broke off.

Willow hung her head in shame and began to cry. "I don't think I can do it, Giles. I mean, look at me, I'm a basket case..."

"Only temporarily," he pointed out. "And the medication will help with that. It will allow you to sleep through most of the flight, and before you know it, we'll be there."

"But..."

"No 'buts.' Take the medicine."

Willow's shoulders slumped in defeat, and she pulled the pills from her pocket. When Giles handed her his bottle of water, she popped them in her mouth and washed them down.

As soon as she handed back the water bottle, the flight attendant started making announcements for their flight. Willow immediately shot Giles a worried look. He smiled and took her hand before leading her to the roped-off area where passengers would begin lining up for boarding.

**Cut To:**

**Faith's Motel Room - A Short Time Later**

After Faith had been wheeled away on her gurney for the scans and tests that Dr. Raine had mentioned, Buffy had left the hospital for the Downtowner Motel.

Knowing her driving skills were not only rusty but questionable at best, Buffy operated the doctor's Corolla with excruciating caution, turning the five-minute drive into a twenty-minute, nerve-wracking ordeal.

"I should've just walked," Buffy grumbled as she pulled into the motel's potholed parking lot and up to the first building behind the lobby.

She got out of the car and locked it, then headed up to the familiar room marked with a number three. She unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Minus the Faith touches, it was exactly the same as when Buffy had last seen it-same dingy walls, same outdated furniture, same grimy threadbare carpet, and yep...same ole useless television.

She walked around the room, running her fingertips over Faith's clothes and small assortment of toiletries, feeling a little guilty at the invasion of Faith's privacy. Then she went inside the tiny bathroom. She studied the window, remembering the night they had fled Kakistos.

"Took the damn owner three days to get the window fixed. I guess he thought the door was enough."

Buffy let out a heavy sigh.

"We should've never let her stay here. We dropped the ball on that. _I_ dropped it. I promised her I'd talk to Mom about moving into the guest room, but I never did. Angel came back, and I just-"

She sighed again and sank onto the side of the bed.

"-forgot."

She let her head fall back against her shoulders and closed her eyes, recalling all the times she'd 'forgotten' Faith, neglected her, pushed her away. There were _so_ many things she wished she'd done differently. But...it didn't help to rehash those things now, so she shook those thoughts from her mind and opened her eyes.

Suddenly she caught a glimpse of something on the night stand. She scooted down the bed and reached behind the partial pack of cigarettes for what appeared to be a narrow strip of folded paper. When she opened it, she discovered the photo booth pictures of herself and Faith. Her mouth dropped open in surprise before curling into a fond smile.

"I can't believe she still has these...God, we had so much fun that day..."

Buffy knew that Faith's accidental killing of Allan Finch had occurred only hours after those photos had been taken, but she didn't dwell on that memory. Instead, she focused on the days prior to that. Faith had ended the intentional distancing that she'd imposed after Buffy's rejection on Christmas. The two slayers had reclaimed some of the camaraderie and the connectedness (and, yes, the chemistry) they had initially felt in that all-too-short period between Kakistos's slaying and Angel's return.

The day of the photo booth pictures, Buffy had let Faith convince her to skip school and go slaying. After decimating a vamp nest, they had headed for the Baskin-Robbins at the mall and scarfed down a Matterhorn each to knock out their post-slay hungries. Once refueled, they had hit the stores, shopping endlessly without buying a thing. Just as they were just about to leave, Faith had grabbed Buffy's hand and dragged her away from the exits and back toward the food court.

**Flashback to "Bad Girls"**

**Sunnydale Mall – Day**

"What are you doing?" Buffy lightly objected as Faith led her past several stores.

"You'll see," Faith teased with a full-dimpled grin.

Buffy played along, trying not to melt at the sight of Faith's smile or the feel of Faith's hand in hers. _Focus_, she told herself. _Focus. Just friends, remember? Your call, just friends._

The next thing she knew, they had stopped, and Faith had released her hand. Buffy looked over and realized they were at the automated photo booth.

"You gotta be kidding," Buffy said.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Faith replied as she fed the requisite bills into the payment slot. "C'mon!"

Faith grabbed Buffy's hand again and tugged her inside the tiny booth. As a series of beeps warned them of the impending flash, they positioned and repositioned, then giggled and struck a goofy pose. The camera flashed and took the first picture. For the second shot, the two slayers did a side hug, tilted their heads together, and stuck out their tongues at the camera.

After the flash, Buffy turned to Faith to laugh with her about their antics. She was surprised, though, when Faith pulled her close and kissed her. Buffy's shock was short-lived as she eagerly returned the kiss. The two slayers were so into their embrace that they didn't even notice when the third picture was taken. Seconds later, though, Buffy ended the kiss and separated them, holding Faith at arm's length as they heaved for breath, staring intently at one another.

When the final flash went off, Buffy forced a smile and gave Faith a mini-shove. "What did you do that for? I told you I couldn't do this."

Faith just leaned in until they were nose to nose and grinned wickedly. "You seemed to be doing it just fine, in my opinion."

Buffy let out a small huff of frustration. "You know what I mean," she said sadly. "Us. I can't do us."

Faith leaned back and shot Buffy another heart-melting, full-dimpled smile. "Hey, you can't blame a girl for tryin'."

Buffy smiled back, a real one this time, glad that Faith wasn't mad at her. When she heard the booth whirr and buzz, she turned to see the machine spit out the four-framed set of pictures. When Buffy reached for them, though, Faith was beat her to it and snatched up the photos.

"Ah-ah-ah," Faith said, much to Buffy's chagrin. "My money, my pictures."

**Cut To:**

**Faith's Motel Room - Resume Present Time**

Buffy smiled as she remembered how happy that moment had been, how strong their connection had felt when they had kissed. Soon Buffy's smile faded.

"But...I pushed her away again, like I always did," she told herself. "No wonder she didn't believe me the other night. I've done nothing but reject her."

Buffy was suddenly very weary, exhausted from lack of sleep and worrying about Faith. She refolded the pictures and slipped them into her shirt pocket; then she lay down on the bed. She pulled one of the pillows against her chest and put her head on the other. She closed her eyes and breathed in the faint scent of the dark slayer.

"I'm sorry, Faith..." she mumbled, sleep overtaking her. "I won't reject you this time, I promise..."

**Fade To:**

**ICU - Faith's Room - Later That Day**

After a longer-than-intended nap at the motel room, Buffy had rushed to pack up Faith's things and then returned to the hospital. She'd found Faith resting back in her room, her series of tests completed, and Dr. Raine keeping the comatose slayer company. Buffy and Dr. Raine had talked for a time until the watcher had to leave to meet the movers at her new house.

A short time after Dr. Raine had left, Buffy heard a knock at the door and then Dawn's voice.

"Yo, Buffy...heads-up...we're coming in..."

Dawn opened the door, and she and Tara came inside. Tara was carrying a small duffel bag. Dawn was carrying a large bed pillow.

Buffy stood and walked over to meet them. "Hey," she said, giving them a smile.

Buffy and Tara met each other's eyes only briefly before looking away. The two hadn't spoken since Monday, when Buffy had let the cat out of the bag about Dr. Raine's intention to send Willow to England.

After enduring a long moment of awkward silence, Tara held up a duffel bag. "W-W-We brought you a bag of fresh clothes. A-A-And some of your bathroom stuff."

"And one of your pillows," Dawn added. "Look who tagged along." She pulled Mr. Gordo, Buffy's stuffed pig, from the pillowcase and waggled him in the air before handing him to her sister.

Buffy got a little teary eyed as she took Mr. Gordo from Dawn. "Thank you," she told both of them sincerely.

Another uncomfortable moment descended, but this time Buffy broke the silence.

Feeling a little guilty about how she'd reacted to Willow's visit, she made herself ask, "So, um, did Willow and Giles get on the road okay?"

Sadness entered Tara's eyes, but she gave Buffy a small smile. "Yeah, they did."

Before things could turn awkward again, Dawn confronted her sister. "So...did you actually eat anything for lunch today?"

Buffy pulled back her shoulders and said, "For your information, Dr. Raine sent me out to get Faith's stuff from her motel room and to eat something while I was out."

"Uh-huh," Dawn replied with suspicion. "And what did you eat?" When Buffy opened her mouth to answer, Dawn added, "And, no, a single non-fat yogurt does not count." Buffy instantly closed her mouth. "Just what I thought."

Dawn grabbed her sister by the arm and started tugging her toward the door while Tara ducked her head to hide her smirk.

"Come on, you're coming with me to the cafeteria."

"But..." Buffy objected, pointing at Faith.

"Don't worry," Tara told her. "I'll stay with her. I won't let anyone hurt her."

Within seconds, Dawn had Buffy out of the room, down the hall, and into the elevator.

**Cut To:**

**Hospital Cafeteria - A Short Time Later**

Dawn had somehow successfully managed to man-handle and manipulate her sister not only to the cafeteria but also through the line with a food-filled tray. But, once they were seated, Dawn had learned the truth of the old adage, 'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.' Or in this case, 'You can lead a slayer to food, but you can't make her eat.'

Buffy had eaten a few bites here and there, but she'd mostly pushed her food around on her plate. In between the infrequent nibbling and the more frequent food pushing, she'd stop and touch the edges of a folded up strip of paper that was sticking out of her shirt pocket. Dawn finally asked her about it.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing at the paper.

Buffy looked down at her pocket. "Oh, that," she said, pulling the strip of photo booth pictures from her pocket and unfolding it. She blushed a little before saying, "Just something I found in Faith's room." She handed the pictures over to her sister.

"Oh my god...when were these taken?" Dawn asked.

"The day Faith killed Allan Finch. You know, like before. Obviously. I skipped school that afternoon to hang out with her, and we had _such_ a good time."

"I can see that," Dawn noted, pointing at the frame that showed Buffy and Faith earnestly kissing each other.

Buffy tried to snatch the pictures back, but Dawn wouldn't let her. She looked at the pictures a little longer, running her fingers over the frayed edges and the well worn crease. "She's kept these a long time, looked at them a lot. They must have been very special to her." Dawn held out the photos.

Buffy took them back and then looked at them fondly. "I felt so close to her that day, but I was still stupidly trying to salvage something with Angel. She kept chipping away at me, though. It might've worked, too, if...if she hadn't killed Finch. Everything went to hell after that. Things were never the same between us after that."

Dawn thought a moment then asked, "What have things been like since you've been back?"

Buffy lit up in a smile. "It just feels 'right' when I'm with her, like that's where I belong, you know? Sometimes I think that...she's the reason I came back. I know that doesn't make any sense whatsoever. The last thing Willow would've had in mind when she planned the resurrection ritual would've been me and Faith. But maybe it's not so crazy. We never really had a chance, you know? I swear, sometimes it felt like the universe was against us, like there was some great conspiracy to keep us apart. Every time we started to get close, something always happened."

Buffy stopped when she felt a strong sense of deja vu, somehow aware that she'd heard those words before, although she had no conscious memory of speaking them to her mother in heaven after her own life review. She shook her head and went on.

"Anyway, maybe this is our chance. I want to believe that. I want to believe it _so_ much, but I don't know if she'll ever wake up. And even if she does, she may not feel the same way."

The two sisters stopped to think for a moment. Then Dawn smiled and said, "Tell me about her. Tell me what you like about her."

Buffy smiled back. "She's really funny. And warm. She has a sensitive side that most people don't get to see. She was very gentle with me when she found me after I came back. I was a total train wreck, but she took such good care of me."

"Is she a good kisser? She looks like it in that picture."

"Dawn!" Buffy objected with a blush as she glanced around the cafeteria to see if anyone nearby was listening in on their conversation.

Dawn refused to back down. "Well, is she?"

Buffy turned even redder but admitted, "Yes, okay, yes, she's a good kisser. She's very good."

"So...how many times have you kissed?"

Buffy started to think then stopped herself. "Dawn! I'm not going to count and recount all my smooches with Faith for you."

"That many, huh?" Dawn noted with a smirk.

Buffy scowled but confirmed nothing.

Dawn decided to push her luck. "Ever do more than kiss?"

Buffy pointedly placed her palms on the table. "Okay, that's it. End of share time."

"Okay, okay," Dawn said, raising her hands in surrender. "I'll scale it back to a G rating. How many times have you kissed since you came back?"

"Dawn..." Buffy whined in protest before answering her sister. "Once. Just once. It was the night she was hurt."

"Aha! So you _were_ kissing in your room that night. I knew it! That's why she had her shirt off." She gave Buffy's arm a playful nudge. "Boy, you were working fast, weren't ya?"

"Dawn!" Buffy whispered urgently with another glance around the room. "No, that's not right at all. Our one post-resurrection kiss was downstairs...in the _bathroom_."

"Huh?" Dawn asked, confused.

"I found her there cleaning up after patrol," Buffy explained. "She'd been hurt. She had a big gash on her forehead. She'd bled all over her shirt, so she'd taken it off, and I could see how bruised she was from all the slaying, and I couldn't stand it, seeing her hurt like that, so I hugged her, and she hugged me back, and...next thing I knew we were kissing."

Dawn leaned forward, entranced by Buffy's story. "What was that like?"

"God, it was _so_ good, and it felt _so_ right, I never wanted to let her go, but-"

"But what?"

"She pushed me away and said she couldn't do it because I quote 'wasn't myself' unquote, and if I had been, I certainly wouldn't be hooking up with her. I tried to tell her that I _was_ myself and that I wanted to be with her, but she wouldn't listen. She said it was for my own good and I'd thank her later. Then she asked me for a clean shirt, so I took her upstairs to get her one from my dresser. And _that's_ why she was shirtless in my bedroom."

Dawn's expression changed to a pout. "I liked my version better. Anyway, I just figured Willow must've seen something that she didn't like."

Buffy ducked her head.

Dawn leaped at the opening. "She _did_ see something, she did! What did she see? What did you do?"

Buffy groaned, wishing she'd never started sharing, but she did answer. "When I found out Faith was planning to go back out on patrol, I tried to convince her to stay with me instead. She resisted at first, but I almost had her when Willow came in. We were just about to kiss when Willow blasted us apart."

"I guess that's when I came in."

Buffy nodded and then became sad. "If Willow hadn't-" She stopped for a second and then started again. "I could've told Faith how I felt, we could've talked about everything, forgiven each other..."

"...had hot slayer sex till you passed out?" Dawn interjected.

"Oh my god," Buffy accused. "What _are_ you? One ginormous hormone?"

"I'm a _teenager_. What did you expect?"

"Visions of virtue and chastity?"

Dawn snorted and rolled her eyes. "This from someone who had sex at sixteen."

"Seventeen!"

"Barely."

"Okay, yes," Buffy admitted. "And...and...it was a complete mistake, which is why you should be learning from said mistake and not entertaining any thoughts of S-E-X until you're at least twenty-one."

"_You're_ not even 21 yet! How many times have you had sex?"

Buffy covered her ears. "Stop saying that."

"What? Sex? It's not an evil word. I can say it as much as I want. Sex, sex, sex."

Buffy stuck her fingers in her ears and began to chant, "Lalalala, I can't hear you..."

That only made Dawn say it more. "Sex, sex, sex!"

They went back and forth several times before bursting into laughter, really enjoying the moment. Buffy wasn't even concerned about the strange stares they were getting from the other diners. Soon, though, Buffy saddened when she thought of Faith's current condition.

Dawn reached over and took her sister's hand. "You'll get your chance to tell her, Buffy. You will.

"I hope so," Buffy said.

END OF PART 17C


	18. Chapter 18

**Follow Your Heart**

**Part 18**

**By DragonWriter17**

**Rating: **NC-17

**Disclaimer:** All of the materials borrowed from _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ belong to Joss Whedon and to the entities and companies associated with their creation. I have borrowed them for creative and entertainment purposes only. No compensation has been or ever shall be received for the writing below. No copyright infringement is intended.

**My Website:** /

**Feedback:** Yes, but only if it's of the non-flamey variety: DragonWriter17

**Distribution:** My personal site, the Mystic Muse, and website.

(If you are interested in posting my story on your site, please contact me first for permission.)

**Spoilers:** _BtVS_ Season 6 (and beyond) with some flashbacks to earlier seasons, particularly Season 3. Any flashbacks to pre-Season 5 may contain Dawn since everyone's memories were changed when Dawn was given human form.

**Pairings:** Buffy/Faith

**Author's Notes:** (1) This story rewrites the events of Buffy's resurrection and introduces a number of non-canon plot changes. One is that Spike leaves town almost immediately after Buffy's death. Another is that Giles leaves much earlier than he did in the original episode, long before Buffy is resurrected. The others you can probably figure out as you go along. (2) The story is written in modified _Watchers_ style. This means that it uses something similar to scene headers in screenplays, but the actual text is mostly written in fiction format. Unlike _Watchers_, though, I may occasionally show a character's thoughts in italics. (3) In Part 1 of my fan fic story "The Buffy Tapes," I created four flashbacks that occurred behind the scenes of the actual _BTVS_ Season 3 (one flashback is before "Revelations"; another is between "Lovers Walk" and "The Wish"; the third is after "Amends"; and the last one is after the end of "Consequences.") I'm assuming those same events-or something similar to them-happened in the past of this new story; however, none of the other non-canonical events of "The Buffy Tapes," other than those flashbacks, occurred here. (4) Thanks, as always, to Lilly for the beta read and edit! I would also like to thank the _Buffy-vs-Angel_ web site, whose transcripts I used ("Faith, Hope and Trick," "Bargaining I and II," "Afterlife," and "Tabula Rasa").

**Number of Chapters:** Unknown

**Complete:** 18

**Story Summary:** This story explores Faith's reaction to Buffy's death and resurrection, and it presents a new take on the real reason Buffy was raised from the dead.

**PART 18**

**PART 18A**

_**Still The Wednesday after Faith's Arrival in Sunnydale**_

**Fade In:**

**Hospital Cafeteria - Resume**

As Buffy and Dawn continued to develop their sisterly bond over a mediocre hospital meal, their mother proudly watched over them. Once Joyce had recovered her strength after her fight with the Fury, she had left heaven to check on her daughters. She had been pleasantly surprised to find them talking and laughing and actually enjoying each other's company.

Suddenly, Osiris materialized next to Joyce and stood watching Buffy and Dawn with her. "How are they?"

"They're good," she answered with a smile. "Better than I could have hoped."

"And Faith?"

Joyce's smile fell away. "The same. Have the Powers made any progress?"

"I believe so. Laren has summoned us."

"I hope it's good news."

**Cut To:**

**Heaven - Palace of the Powers-That-Be - Moments Later**

"It's bad," Laren reported.

"How bad?" Joyce made herself ask.

"Our enemies have developed a plan to open all of the hellmouths-_simultaneously_-effectively returning all of demonkind to earth."

"How?" Ozzie inquired. "I know it is possible to open one hellmouth, given the right ritual and conditions. But all of them? At once?"

"Apparently, they've come up with something," Laren replied. "We don't know the details, but we do know that the ritual will take place in Sunnydale. Whatever they have planned, it will originate there, at the only active hellmouth."

"But what does all this have to do with Buffy and Faith?" Joyce asked. "Why are they so desperate to keep the girls apart?"

"We don't know yet," Laren answered, "but we suspect it has something to do with an attack on the slayer line, which means Faith needs to be protected."

"And the potentials as well," Ozzie added.

"Yes. I want you on that, Osiris. See that their watchers are informed of the danger." Then Laren turned to Joyce. "I want you to arrange Faith's recovery and protection. Within the proper channels, of course. If we break the rules now, we may create a crack that Evil can exploit."

"Understood," Joyce said.

**Cut To:**

**Hospital - Faith's Room - A Short Time Later**

As Buffy and Dawn were eating their meal, Tara stayed behind to watch over Faith. During the first twenty minutes of her visit, Tara had stayed silent, too nervous to do anything other than rehearse the magical steps she would take to protect Faith, should an attack occur. She already felt partially responsible for what Willow had done to the slayer. She would _not_ fail to keep Faith safe now.

After a while, she relaxed enough to actually talk to the slayer. Although she kept her magic ready, she clasped Faith's hand and began to speak.

"Hey, Faith. It's me, Tara. I'm sorry I haven't been by sooner. I, um...I had to take care of Willow first."

Tara's eyes became pleading. "She wasn't herself when she attacked you, and she's _really_ sorry for hurting you. I know that doesn't excuse what she's done, but I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive her."

Then Tara ducked her head. "I'm sorry I didn't stop her. I _knew_ something was wrong, but I just couldn't figure out what. I-I-I should've confronted her..._done_ something..."

She gave Faith's hand a squeeze and lifted her gaze. "Anyway, we're all keeping our fingers crossed for you to wake up soon. Your slayer healing is gonna pull you out of this, you'll see. I just wish we had a way to..."

Tara stopped and stared off, thinking intently.

"...make it work faster..." she added absently.

As the wheels turned in her mind, Tara didn't realize that it was Joyce who was giving those wheels a push.

Joyce whispered a few more things in Tara's ear. Once she saw Tara's face slowly crease into her signature half-smile, Joyce disappeared.

**Fade Out.**

**Fade In:**

**Dr. Raine's House - That Night**

Later that night, Tara and Dawn went to help Dr. Raine unpack and locate the books needed for the Anti-Fury spell. At the moment, they were in the home's family room, which was destined to become the watcher's library. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves had been built into the walls on each side of the fireplace, and the three women were now sorting through the book boxes that the movers had deposited there earlier in the day. Dr. Raine took a small stack of books over to Dawn, who was placing volumes into particular categories on the shelves.

"These go in the demonolgy section, dear," the doctor told her as she handed the books over.

"Do I put them under 'B' for Boogymen or 'O' for Oogly Booglies?" Dawn asked.

As the watcher's expression changed into bafflement and then mild alarm, Tara chimed in, "She's kidding, Dr. Raine."

Dr. Raine laughed, a bit nervously at first then heartily. When she turned back to the table where she and Tara were sorting books, she noticed the blonde looking at her watch for the tenth time in the last hour. She walked over and gave Tara a pat on the shoulder.

"I'm sure Rupert will call soon."

Tara gave a hopeful smile and nod and turned her attention back to the box she had just opened. After removing a few volumes and setting them aside, she lifted out a tattered book with a black leather cover. Its title was _Carmina Custodiae_.

"Hey, Dr. Raine?" Tara said as she held up the book. "Is this the book you're still looking for? 'Spells of Protection'?"

"Ah! Yes, yes, that's the one! At last. Now we can get started on the Anti-Fury spell. Come, come..."

As Dr. Raine motioned her toward a sofa and coffee table that were already heaped with books, Tara turned back to Dawn.

"I think we have everything, but can you keep opening boxes and putting the books on the shelves?"

"Sure, sure..." Dawn teased. "Make the teenager do all the hard work. There are laws against child labor, ya know."

Tara just rolled her eyes and sat down with Dr. Raine on the sofa.

**Cut To:**

**Hospital Grounds - Same Time**

While Tara and Dawn were assisting Dr. Raine, and Anya was watching Faith, Xander was helping Buffy patrol the area directly around the hospital. As they crept around the edges of the outermost parking lot, Buffy kept cutting her eyes back toward the hospital's rear entrance.

"Don't worry," Xander chided the anxious slayer. "An's got it under control. She's got weapons, and she can handle some basic spells." He waggled his index finger informatively as he went on. "You know that's how she got D'Hoffryn's attention way back when-using magic to wreak some havoc on Olaf."

"I remember, but you're not exactly increasing my confidence by reminding me of Anya's former career as a vengeance demon."

"Hey now...Anya earned her Scooby stripes fair and square. She helped us beat Glory when she could have run. After you died, when it was just us mere mortals against the hellmouth, she still didn't run. She patrolled with us the whole time you were gone."

"You're right," Buffy admitted. "I'm sorry. I don't really doubt her heart. I know it's in the right place."

Xander nodded his acceptance of the apology. Then he added, "Will's is, too, you know. You should cut her some slack."

Buffy ducked her head in shame. "I know. I-I'm-I'll work on it." She lifted her gaze to his. "I promise."

"Good. So...what do you say? One more sweep and then a snack break?"

"We just had dinner thirty minutes ago."

"Gotta keep our strength up," he said with a grin. "Or at least our sugar levels. Donuts, donuts, donuts..." he began to chant.

**Cut To:**

**Dr. Raine's House - Later That Night**

"I believe that will do nicely," Dr. Raine said with a pleased smile as she patted the yellow legal pad on which she and Tara had written out the details of their 'Anti-Fury' spell.

Tara smiled back at her. Then she picked up the extra sheet that contained their list of needed supplies. "Do you want me to run by the Magic Box tomorrow and pick up what we need? I have two morning classes, but I can go after that."

"That would be wonderful. Will you be free for the rest of the day after that?"

Tara nodded then corrected, "Well, except for a study group at 2:00."

"Excellent! I'd like to do the spell on all of us as soon as possible, so perhaps we should aim for the noon hour at Faith's room?"

"If Xander can take off for lunch, that should work."

"What about me?" Dawn asked, joining them.

"I'll write you a note," Tara said. "I'll tell them you have a 'doctor's appointment'."

"And it'd actually be true! Ha!" Dawn said with a grin.

Just then, Dr. Raine's cell phone rang. She flipped it open. "Hello? Rupert! I'm so glad you called."

As Dr. Raine listened intently, Tara's eyes grew anxious.

"Yes, she's right here..."

When Dr. Raine handed the phone over, Tara eagerly took it from her. "Hello?" She smiled and relaxed a little. "Hey, sweetie. It's so good to hear your voice."

"You, too," Willow said. "I wanted to call you as soon as we landed, but Giles decided that he wanted to wait until we were on the road to Devon."

"How are you feeling?" Tara asked, her brow creased in worry. "How was the flight?"

"It was okay. The meds helped. I slept most of the way." Willow paused and took in a shaky breath. "Last couple of hours were rough. If Giles hadn't been there..."

"But he was, and you made it, and everything's gonna be fine."

Willow began to cry. "Tara, I miss you _so_ much. I don't know if I can do this without you."

"You _can_, Will, you can. But you're not really without me. I'm in your heart, and you're in mine, and I'm only a phone call away."

"Thanks," Willow said after a few sniffles. "I love you, I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Tara replied, wiping at her own tears.

"Uh, I think Giles wants to talk to Dr. Raine again. He's doing some kind of incomprehensible left-handed British sign language while he's driving."

Tara let out a small laugh. "Okay. Here she is."

When Tara handed her the phone, Dr. Raine took it, walked a few feet away, and continued her conversation with Giles. Dawn stepped closer to Tara and gave her a hug.

"How's Willow?"

Tara pulled her shoulders back and attempted to put some optimism in her voice. "She's okay. She's not great, but she's okay. And she's where she needs to be. She'll get better, and then she'll come home."

"Probably before you know it," Dawn assured her.

By then, Dr. Raine had finished speaking with Giles and had rejoined them. "Rupert says she did well, all things considered, quite well indeed. They'll get settled in, rest a while. More than likely, Willow will be able to begin her training in a day or so. I'll fax the 'Anti-Fury' spell tomorrow so that Althenea can do the ritual there. Willow's at a critical juncture. She must be protected until she regains her spiritual balance. Once she's safe, then the healing can truly begin."

"Speaking of healing," Tara said, "why isn't Faith? I mean, shouldn't her slayer healing be kicking in by now?"

"I'm sure it is and has been," Dr. Raine answered. "It's what's kept her alive when an ordinary human might have already succumbed. But even slayer healing takes time when it comes to injuries of the nervous system, as we learned from her earlier brain injury and coma."

"I was just wondering if there was something we could do to...I don't know...'rev up' her slayer healing?"

"I'm not aware of anything, other than some standard healing spells, which would certainly help, but not along the lines you're describing. Did you have something particular in mind?"

"I thought of the regular healing spells, too, but last night something just popped in my head." Tara stopped and shook her head. "It's probably stupid."

"No, no, tell me. I want to hear it."

"Well, I was just thinking that...since we actually have another slayer...you know, who isn't hurt or anything...that maybe we could somehow 'borrow' some of Buffy's slayer energy and give it to Faith."

Dr. Raine silently stared at Tara for a few seconds. She wasn't really seeing the witch, though. Instead, she was thinking intently, considering Tara's suggestion. Just as Tara cast an uneasy glance in Dawn's direction, Dr. Raine suddenly spoke up.

"_Good Lord!_" the doctor exclaimed, startling both Tara and Dawn. "It's brilliant! It's bloody brilliant! Why didn't the Council think of this before?" she asked as she paced about the room. "Why would they? No precedent. Two slayers at once, never happened before, till Miss Summers. The first time, that is." She began nodding her head enthusiastically. "It could work. It could definitely work."

She turned and hurried over to Tara and began patting her arms. "It's bloody brilliant, Tara! And it'll be the perfect start to your new training!"

"M-M-My w-w-what?" Tara stammered in surprise.

"Your training. Didn't I tell you?"

Tara shook her head.

"Willow's not the only one who will be receiving training. You will be, too. Right here, with me."

"Training for what?" Tara asked nervously.

"For a bigger role on the team," Dr. Raine said. Then she grasped Tara's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "You have great power, Tara. More than you realize. It's time you started using it."

Tara glanced away and began fidgeting. "I-I-I don't know...I'm n-n-not really good with pressure..."

"Hence the training," Dr. Raine said with a teasing twinkle in her eyes. Then she sobered and said, "And you're wrong about the pressure. You manage it just fine. You've already proven that in how you handled Willow and the Fury."

Tara thought for a moment and then said, "Okay. If you think that's best."

"I do."

"You should train all of us," Dawn interjected. When the doctor shot her a skeptical look, the teen started making her case. "We're all going to be on 'Faith-watch' at one time or another. We probably ought to know some magic basics. In fact...some of us _might_ even have hidden talents in that area. Like me, for instance. I've done magic before. Plus, I used to be the Key. That's gotta make me magically inclined, right?"

Dr. Raine pursed her lips and considered the matter. "Hmmm...you do raise some valid points. There _are_ tests we can do to determine those who might be so inclined..."

"Oooooo!" Dawn raised her hand high. "Test me! Test me!"

Tara reached for Dawn's arm and got her attention. "If Dr. Raine _is_ willing to teach you, you _can't_ do like Willow did, though, Dawnie. You _know_ what I'm talking about."

Dawn ducked her head, knowing that Tara was referring to Dawn's attempt to raise her mother from the dead. When she lifted her gaze, she promised, "I won't do anything like that ever again. I swear."

"You'll need to ask Buffy first," Tara told her. "If she doesn't want you to do it, then I don't think you should."

"Tara's right," Dr. Raine said before Dawn could object.

Dawn rolled her eyes and grumbled, "Okaaaaaay."

**Fade Out.**

_**The Thursday after Faith's Arrival in Sunnydale**_

**Fade In:**

**Hospital - Faith's Room - Around Noon**

As Xander, Anya, and Dawn entered Faith's room, they found Dr. Raine and Tara setting up the ritual supplies on the rolling bed table, turning it into a makeshift magical altar.

Xander playfully clapped his hands together and announced, "I'm here for my Flurry Foo Shot." He chuckled and corrected himself, "I mean, my Furry Shoe Shot." He held his finger up and put on a determined look, then pretended to untangle his tongue. "Okay, I can do this. Third time's a charm. My. Fury. Flu. Shot."

A second later both Xander and Dawn cried out, "Try saying that five times fast."

Xander and Dawn looked at each other. "Jinx!" They said simultaneously while pointing at each other. "Jinx again!"

The whole group burst into a fit of giggles. Buffy joined the chuckling for a time before glancing at Faith and wishing that she could laugh along with them.

When the giggling finally tapered off, Dr. Raine patted her belly and said, "Oh, my, that felt good. Laughter is good for the soul!" Then she turned to Tara. "Are we ready?"

Tara glanced at her script and altar one more time, then answered firmly, "Yes."

At Tara's response, the doctor put a "do not disturb" sign on the door and then turned to address the others.

"The first part of the spell," she told them, "will be identical to the one we used on Willow. It will detect and reveal any Fury that may be present. If you do see one, do _not_ panic. Remain where you are, and whatever you do, _don't_ break the circle. Tara will banish the Fury as she did with the other. If no Fury is present, which is what we actually expect to happen, then Tara will do the second part of the spell-the protection part, the part that will ward off all Fury influence. Everyone clear?" With nods from everyone, Dr. Raine turned things over to Tara.

Tara cast a circle around the room, including everyone in it. Then she recited the revealing spell that Dr. Raine had previously used on Willow. When she reached the last word of the incantation, the same glowing energy that had appeared before, now began to swarm about the hospital room. It was milky white in color, but semitransparent, and it had a faint luminescent glow as it began investigating each person in the room. It swirled slowly around Tara, then Dr. Raine, then Xander, Anya, and Dawn, its color and intensity remaining steady the entire time.

However, when the energy cloud reached Buffy and the still-sleeping Faith, it took on a dark reddish tint and glowed more brightly. It picked up speed, darting and weaving and spinning around the two slayers as if looking for something it couldn't find.

"D-D-Dr. Raine," Tara said nervously. "What's going on? Why is it doing that? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, dear, your performance of the spell was perfect, so it can't be that. I believe it's something else entirely."

Just then, the glowing cloud returned to its neutral white and dissipated.

"How very odd," Dr. Raine commented before turning back to Tara. "Go ahead with the second part."

Tara took a few deep breaths to center herself. Then she completed the ritual of protection without incident. When she had finished, she closed the circle.

"Okay, what the hell was that?" Buffy said, pointing between herself and Faith. "Why did that spell go all Taz on us and not on you guys?"

"Maybe it's because you're slayers," Anya suggested.

"Perhaps," Dr. Raine noted, "but I don't see how. There's nothing in the spell that would be triggered by a slayer's energy. It's designed to flag only the presence of an actual Fury."

"What if it's old?" Xander asked. "What if it's like 'Fury stink'? You know, like when your garbage is all stinky and you take it outside but it's still stinky inside the room? It's like leftover stink."

"Like a _residue_," Dr. Raine said, catching on. "A Fury residue. Excellent analogy, Xander! I think that's exactly what we're seeing here."

Dawn's expression became worried. "But that would mean..."

"...Faith and I have been influenced before," Buffy finished. She lowered her eyes and shook her head. "God, I bet I can guess when."

Dawn touched her sister's arm. "Every time you tried to kill each other?"

Buffy lifted her gaze and gave a solemn nod.

"Well, there shall be no more of that," Dr. Raine declared resolutely.

"Thank you," Buffy told Tara and the doctor.

After a moment of awkward silence, Xander glanced at his watch. "I better be getting back to work."

"Right," Anya said. "Long lunches mean lost income."

"And we can't have that," Xander agreed before turning to Dawn. "Drop you back at school?"

"I guesssssss," the teen grumbled, slumping her shoulders in utter dread.

"I can drop Dawn off," Tara offered. "I've got study group this afternoon at UC. She's right on my way."

"Works for me," Xander said before taking off with Anya.

Tara turned to Dawn. "Just give me a minute to clean up this mess."

"I'll take care of it," Dr. Raine said. "I've monopolized enough of your time today already."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Thanks," Tara said, gathering her backpack. "I'll be back after study group."

Once Tara and Dawn had left, Dr. Raine began cleaning the ritual items and storing them in the box they had brought. Once she had finished, she joined Buffy beside Faith's bed.

Faith was frowning in her sleep-not exactly tossing and turning, but definitely not the stiller, more peaceful resting she'd been doing most of the time.

Buffy laid her hand on Faith's forehead. "I think the spell must've bothered her. It certainly bothered _me_." She turned to Dr. Raine. "Do you really think that we have a 'Fury residue' on us?"

"I believe it's the most likely explanation. You'd be the best judge of whether or not you have felt 'influenced' in the past."

"Faith always brought out strong emotions in me," Buffy said. "Usually strong feelings of 'pain in the ass'."

"Oh, I know that feeling well," Dr. Raine sympathized as they shared a grin at Faith's expense.

"Looking back, I know there were times when I overreacted, when she did something and I got so mad I just wanted to beat the crap out of her. But when she hurt Angel...I wanted to kill her, I really did." Buffy's voice began to crack, but she went on. "And I almost _did_ kill her, that last night at her apartment. I just felt this rage come over me, and I think she was feeling it, too. We fought like crazy people. Then I saw an opening, and I took it. I stabbed her. She seemed surprised. She said, 'You did it...you killed me.' But then she got away from me and let herself fall off the building so that I couldn't use her blood to cure Angel. She landed in the back of a big truck as it drove by. I was sure that I'd killed her, but I didn't feel good about it. I should've been glad. I'd wanted revenge, and I'd gotten it. Instead, I just felt horrified. I sat on her balcony and cried for I don't know how long. Then I went back to Angel and made him drain me. I'm not sure if I did it to save him or just to kill myself. Maybe both." She shot Dr. Raine an embarrassed glance. "Sorry. I probably should have given an intermission in there somewhere. A popcorn break at least."

"No worries," the watcher assured her gently.

"Do you think maybe that was a Fury?"

"There's no way to know for certain, but based upon your description, as well as what we observed today and what we've learned about Furies, I believe there is a very good chance that you were both being influenced."

Buffy let out a heavy sigh. "Still...it was horrible what I did. I don't know how she'll ever forgive me."

"I'm fairly certain she already has," Dr. Raine replied with a smile. "As I'm sure she'll tell you once she recovers from her injuries."

"Do you really think she'll get better?"

"I do, and I actually have good news on that front. Tara has come up with an ingenious healing ritual. If it works-and I believe that it will-it will allow you to 'share' your slayer power with Faith, nearly doubling her ability to heal."

Buffy's face lit up. "That's great! Let's do it. When can we do it? I'm ready."

"This afternoon, when Tara gets out of her study group."

"Great! That's the best idea I've heard yet."

"Yes, well...I do have a couple of other ideas that I imagine you'll be less enthused about."

Buffy eyed the watcher warily. "What ideas?"

"I want you to resume full patrol in the evenings."

"_What?!_ No way." Buffy crossed her arms and shook her head vigorously. "We know something's out to get Faith. I'm _not_ gonna leave her unguarded for the whole night, every night."

"We won't be leaving her unguarded, and I'll come back to that point in a minute. Buffy, there is a larger plot going on here. I know you know this. It's probably at work right now, at this very moment, here in Sunnydale, which means you need to be out there, finding it, facing it, dealing with it. If Sunnydale isn't made safe, then Faith won't be safe."

Buffy's brow furrowed as her thoughts warred with one another. She understood the logic of Dr. Raine's plan, but damn it! she didn't want to leave Faith.

"No one can protect her like I can," she insisted. "None of you are slayers."

"No, we aren't, but we do have magic. There are rituals we can do, precautions we can take. That's why I want to train the others in some basic spells. With enough training, we can protect Faith while you patrol."

Buffy was considering the matter, but she didn't look entirely convinced yet.

"And...to ease your mind while you're out and about, I've purchased this." Dr. Raine pulled out a brand new cell phone and handed it to Buffy, who stared at it with both surprise and glee. "This way, you can check on Faith whenever you like as well as check in with me when you're patrolling alone."

"Awesome! Giles never could get me a cell phone from the stingy old Council." She gave Dr. Raine a nudge. "I guess it pays to be the boss's sis, huh?"

"Indeed, it does," the watcher said with a grin. "So, are we agreed?"

"You mean now that you've bribed with me the holy grail of modern communications?"

"Yes. Did it work?"

Buffy didn't answer. She turned back to Faith and looked at her sadly. "I promised her she wouldn't wake up alone this time."

"She won't. I promise you. One of us will be with her at all times."

"Okay. I'll start tonight. But _just_ for a few hours, not the whole night. And that's assuming you can get your magicky things in place."

"Agreed. Which brings me to my next point."

"There's _more_?" Buffy groaned. "You're going to make my head explode, and then patrol will be out of the question."

Dr. Raine rolled her eyes and then continued. "As I mentioned earlier, I want to train the others in some basic magic. Protection spells mostly, for use here in Faith's room. But I'd like that training to include Dawn."

"Are you _kidding_?!" Buffy demanded. "I am _not_ going to allow Dawn to follow in Willow's footsteps! Giles should have never let her start dabbling when we were in school. He should have stopped her. Then she wouldn't have been able to do this!" She pointed at Faith.

"No, what he should have done was _train_ her. Willow has talent, real talent, and she saved your life and everyone else's lives on more than one occasion. It was only her lack of training that led to her downfall. What if Dawn possesses a similar talent? It would be foolish not to use that talent to help protect Faith. Given her origin as the Key, I suspect that she is already magically inclined. There are tests we can perform to-"

"No! Absolutely not. The last thing we need around here is another out-of-control witch."

Dr. Raine started to renew her case, but she could see that the slayer had dug her heels in. She held up her hands in surrender. "All right, all right, very well. It's your decision, and I'll abide by it."

"Thank you."

Dr. Raine simply nodded in reply. Then she picked up the box of ritual items and headed for the door. "I'm off. I want to fax the Anti-Fury spell to Rupert and Althenea. I want to get their opinions about this 'residue effect' as well."

"Sounds good."

"I'll check in on you later."

"Okay."

Once Dr. Raine had left, Buffy paced about the room, unsettled by the revelations the ritual had brought.

_Me and Faith...both influenced by a Fury. Still can't get my head around that._

_I can definitely see it in me when I stabbed her. I was running on nothing but rage that night._

_I was probably feeling it when she attacked Mom, too. If Faith hadn't body-switched us when she did, there's no telling what I might have done._

_I don't remember feeling it so much when I was in Faith's body. Huh. Maybe the whole switcheroo thingy confused it._

_It came roaring back, though, when I found out she'd gone after Angel in L.A. I wanted to rip her apart when I saw her with him. Part of me felt that way, anyway. The other part of me could see how sorry she was, that she needed help. But...every second was like a battle in my brain-going from wanting to hurt her, to stopping myself from hurting her, and back again._

_Was it like that for her? Was she feeling the same way when she had me chained up in Angel's mansion? When we fought at her apartment, at the house, at the church before we switched back? God, how did we even survive at all? _

_Is that what Willow felt, too?_

Buffy groaned and slumped into the chair beside Faith's hospital bed. With her elbows on her knees, she rested her aching head in both hands. This was too much to contemplate.

Which was worse? she wondered. Believing that she was just as guilty as Willow for succumbing to the Fury's influence? Or admitting that she'd judged Willow too harshly when it came to her actions against Faith?

**Fade Out.**

**PART 18B**

**Fade In:**

**Summers Home - Living Room - Later That Afternoon**

Once Tara had gotten out of study group, she'd hurried home to drop off her books and to pick up the things she would need for the healing spell that she planned to do with Buffy. Just as she was about to head out the front door with her bag, the phone rang. She rushed over and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey," came Willow's voice over the phone.

Tara's face lit up into a smile. "Hey, Sweetie. I'm so glad you called." As she sat down on the sofa, she looked at the clock and tried to remember what the time difference was. "What time is it there?"

"About 11:00. At night. It feels like 11:00 in the morning. My internal clock is all messed up."

"It'll get better. Just give it a few days, and you won't even notice it. Till then, try to sleep when you're supposed to."

"It's hard...I miss you lying next to me."

Tara felt her throat tighten a bit. "I miss you, too, Baby...so much."

"I wish I didn't have to be here."

"I know, but it's for the best."

All Tara got for an answer was a heavy sigh.

"How are things going?" Tara asked. "Have you started your training yet?"

"No, I'll start tomorrow. All we did today was the Anti-Fury spell Dr. Raine faxed over. It was a little scary, but it took, they said. So I guess that means it's safe for me to come home. Once I'm better, I mean. I still gotta do the witchy rehab." Her voice took on a sarcastic tone as she mimicked the traditional AA meeting opener. " 'Hi, my name is Willow, and I'm addicted to magic.' " She ended with a disgusted grumble. "I feel like such a failure."

"You're not a failure," Tara replied, glancing at the clock again, realizing that she would have to hurry if she wanted to make her appointment with Dr. Raine at the hospital.

"I _am_. It's like I've been sent to magic summer school. The textbook is probably _Witchcraft for Dummies_."

"I'm sure you'll love it once you start. You'll be working with a _real_ coven, learning all sorts of new things."

"The Coven is really nice," Willow admitted, "and the casting room is amazing. Plus, the library is huge! It's like Giles's stuff times a hundred. I can't wait to spend some time in there. And-"

"Will, I hate to have to cut this short, but I'm supposed to be at the hospital right now."

"Oh. Um, okay. H-H-How is Faith?"

"Pretty much the same."

"Oh."

"But we're doing a special healing spell this afternoon. That's why I need to run."

"A special one?"

"Yeah, it will let Faith 'borrow' some of Buffy's slayer healing. Or at least that's the idea."

"Cool! Did Dr. Raine have that in one of her books?"

"Uh, no. Actually I came up with it. She helped me tweak it, though."

"Oh. Well, that sounds good. No, great. Really. Sounds like an awesome plan."

Tara could hear the hint of jealousy and sadness in Willow's voice, but she didn't let it get to her. She knew that Willow was just feeling guilty and useless-understandable considering what she was going through.

"Thanks," Tara told her warmly. "I gotta go. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Tara hung up the phone, repositioned her bag on her shoulder, then headed back for the door.

**Cut To:**

**Hospital - Faith's Room - A Short Time Later**

When Tara arrived, she found only Buffy with Faith. Tara glanced around the room and then at the door.

"Where's Dr. Raine? D-D-Did I get my time wrong?"

"She got called away, something in the E.R., I think. She said not to wait for her."

Tara looked uneasy. "Oh. Okay."

"You _can_ do this, right?" Buffy asked, concerned.

Tara brightened and gave Buffy a reassuring smile. "Yes, I know what to do. She wasn't going to be helping with the actual ritual anyway. It's just...I'm not used to being the primary. For the Scoobies, I mean. Willow always-" She stopped, knowing Buffy didn't want to hear about Willow. "I-I-I'll just get everything set up. I-I-It won't take long." She walked over to the small rolling table and began unpacking her bag.

Buffy could feel the tension in the room-Tara walking on eggshells, afraid to even speak her girlfriend's name, Buffy involuntarily bristling at any mention of her former best friend. Buffy shook her head and let her breath out slowly. _I can't let this go on. It's not Tara's fault that Willow went off the deep end. It's not even Willow's. It's the Fury's._

Buffy joined Tara at the table. "You don't have to stop talking about Willow on my account. It's okay. Really."

A mixture of gratitude and sympathy spread over Tara's face. "I know you're still hurting over what she did. I don't want to upset you."

"I know it wasn't Willow's fault. I can't really blame her for something I did, too, under the same conditions. I can't say I'm all 'everything's forgiven', though. It's gonna take a while, but I'm working on it. I wanted you to know that."

"Thank you," Tara said, pulling Buffy into a hug.

After that embrace, the room felt lighter, and the uncomfortable tension was gone. Tara finished her preparations and asked Buffy if she was ready. At the slayer's nod, Tara put a "do not disturb" sign on the door and cast the circle. She invoked the Guardians, called upon the God and Goddess, and recited several incantations. Then she led Buffy to the side of Faith's bed.

"What do I need to do?" Buffy asked.

"All you have to do is hold my hand and concentrate on opening yourself up to me. I'll do the rest."

"Okay."

When Buffy sounded unsure about her own role, Tara told her, "Just think positive things about Faith. Imagine your slayer power flowing out of your body and into me."

As Buffy gripped Tara's left hand with both of her own, Tara placed her right hand gently on Faith's head. She began a series of deep breaths, first grounding herself in the power of the earth, then drawing in energy from all of the elements around her. Slowly she began channeling that energy into Faith. Once the flow had been started, Tara opened herself up to receive from Buffy.

Tara immediately let out a loud gasp.

"What is it?" Buffy cried in alarm. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Everything's fine," Tara instantly assured. "It's just...oh...goddess... wow..." Awestruck, she turned to Buffy. "Is that what it feels like to be a slayer? It's so..."

"Bizarre? Freakish?" Buffy finished, rolling her eyes.

"No," Tara said, her mouth quirking into an amazed smile. "Powerful."

Buffy smiled back, blushing a little.

"I'm going to start sharing your power now. Keep thinking of Faith," Tara instructed before turning back to Faith.

For the first few minutes, Buffy was able to focus her mind on sending her slayer energy to Tara for Faith. She imagined the healing power pouring into Faith and undoing the damage that Willow had done.

Suddenly, Buffy's memories took her back to the attack-the shock of the magical bolt striking Faith in the chest, the horror of Faith being blasted from the room, the anguish of seeing Faith lying motionless on the front lawn.

Buffy reined her thoughts in. _No. No bad. Just the good. Come on, Norman Vincent, lend me some o' that positive thinking. _

Buffy took in a deep breath and then slowly let it out. She thought about the way Faith had cared for her after the resurrection, how much Faith had changed. She thought about the motorcycle ride they had shared and how close she had felt to her fellow slayer. She thought about their kiss, how intense it had been, how right it had felt. Her body grew warm as she let her love for Faith fill her whole being.

Then she began to wonder about Faith's feelings for her. They seemed real, but were they? Or was Buffy just seeing what she wanted to see? For that matter, were her own feelings just wishful thinking? Maybe the trauma of her resurrection really did make her get 'attached' to Faith. Is that all her feelings were?

"Buffy, stop," Tara said, interrupting the slayer's ruminations. "Don't close yourself off."

"Sorry, I didn't realize I was...Sorry."

"Don't hold back your feelings for her. Love is the most healing emotion there is. Let that come through." At Buffy's look of surprise, Tara added, "Yes, I know how you feel about Faith, and no, Dawn didn't tell me. I saw it all on my own. But even if I hadn't already seen it for myself, I would've felt it now. It's beautiful, Buffy, and it's real. Don't doubt it."

Buffy felt tears fill her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away before nodding back to Tara.

For the rest of the ritual, Buffy kept her mind and heart on track, sending Faith both her love and her power. When the spell was over, Tara and Buffy traded smiles and then hugs.

"Thank you, Tara," Buffy told her as she gave the witch a final squeeze.

"You're welcome," Tara replied. "How do you feel?"

"Tired," Buffy said. "But good. Kinda like when you've been swimming for a long time and you come out of the pool?"

"You should rest today, as much as possible. Let your personal energy and slayer power replenish themselves."

"I will," Buffy promised before glancing sadly at the still-sleeping Faith. "Do you think it will work?"

"Yes. I felt it go through, so I know it took. We may not see the effects right away, but it's bound to help. We just need to give all that slayer power time to work."

Slayer and witch were silent as Tara packed up her things and took down the "do not disturb" sign. When Tara was ready to go, she said, "I'm gonna head out. I need to get in some study time. See you tonight?"

"Yeah, see you then," Buffy replied.

After Tara left, Buffy stared at Faith, hoping to see some sign of improvement. When she saw no immediate change, she let out a long sigh. Then she gave Faith a warm smile and caressed her cheek.

"I do love you, Faith, and I'm going to tell you as soon as you wake up. But first you have to wake up, so start working on that, okay?"

Buffy gave Faith a kiss on the forehead. Then she sat down in the bedside chair and tucked her legs under herself. After clasping her hands around the dagger she had hidden in her jacket pocket, she rested her head against her pillow and tried to catch some sleep.

**Fade Out.**

**Fade In:**

**Hospital - Faith's Room - That Night**

"No! I've already said it. No!"

Buffy and Dawn were arguing. Anya and Xander were hovering in the corner, trying to stay out of the dispute. Well, Xander was. Anya was watching with interest, wishing she'd brought popcorn.

"You are _not_ doing magic!" Buffy told Dawn again.

"But I can help protect Faith," the teen insisted. "I've done magic before. I can do it, I swear."

"I _know_ you can do it-that's the problem! You did bad magic, and Willow encouraged you to do it."

"No, she didn't encourage me to do the bad spell. She just introduced me to magic in general. _I'm_ the one who researched the bad spell and chose to do it."

"Exactly! Just like Willow. Dabbling in things you don't understand. It was dangerous! Do you know how dangerous that spell was?!"

"I was trying to bring Mom back! I was so alone, and I just thought that-" Dawn took a deep breath and continued. "It was a mistake. I realize that now."

"How do you know-how do _I_ know-that you won't make that mistake again?"

Dawn glanced over at Faith. "Because I've seen what bad magic can do."

Buffy went silent, thinking to herself. As she considered Dawn's argument, the angelic Joyce could be seen whispering in Buffy's ear. After a few seconds, Buffy shook her head, and Joyce looked disappointed.

"We shouldn't be arguing in front of Faith. Dr. Raine said it's not good for her. We'll talk about this later. Xander and I need to meet Dr. Raine and Tara for patrol." Buffy ignored Dawn and turned to Anya. "You know what to do?"

"Yesssss," Anya said wearily as she held up a smudging stick in one hand and a card with a phone number on it in the other hand. "Beef up the protection spell as soon as you leave, and call you if anything wonky happens. I've got it. I'm not a novice."

"I know. I'm counting on it," Buffy said before leaving with Xander.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Cemetery - A Short Time Later**

After a short meeting, Dr. Raine handed Buffy and Xander their radios and sent them off to patrol. Then she turned her attention to a very nervous Tara, who was awaiting her first training session.

"Now then," Dr. Raine said to Tara, "time to show me what you can do."

First, Dr. Raine requested that Tara demonstrate the shielding spell she had used when Willow attacked Dr. Raine before the Fury was banished. Tara was relieved to be doing something that she was relatively comfortable with. She cast the spell with ease.

"Excellent! I know from experience that you've mastered this one quite well." After she'd gotten a smile from Tara, she asked, "What else do you have in your repertoire, my dear?"

"Well, I'm pretty good at healing spells and locator spells, a-a-and there's this sort of fog spell I can do that can make it hard for demons to find you or follow you."

"Show me."

Tara demonstrated the obscuring spell that she had used against the Gentlemen.

"That one could prove quite useful as well. What else?"

Tara hesitated for a moment, thinking, then said, "Well, Willow was working on a fireball spell, and she could actually levitate and use telepathy..."

"No, no," Dr. Raine pressed, "what can _you_ do?"

Tara hung her head and shrugged. "I-I-I don't know. I-I-I usually let Willow take the lead."

"Willow's not here. _You_ need to take the lead. You have the power, Tara. Will you let me prove it to you?"

Tara looked frightened but hopeful. She nodded her head.

**Cut To:**

**Hospital - Faith's Room - Same Time**

"I don't know why she won't let me learn magic," Dawn complained to Anya. "She knows I can do it, but she won't even let me be tested much less trained."

Anya waved her hand dismissively. "Testing, training, I never did any of that. Neither did Willow. Look at what we were able to do."

"Yeah, look at that," Dawn replied sarcastically. "You ended up a vengeance demon, and Willow ended up doing this." She pointed at the still-comatose Faith.

"Well, it doesn't mean _you_ will. You could still train. I'd be willing to show you a few things. Buffy wouldn't have to know."

"She'd know," Dawn said with a sigh. "Plus, I kinda don't wanna piss her off again. We were actually getting along for once." She sighed again. "I just wish she'd give me a chance. To be a real Scooby, you know? Do my part. 'Cause I can. I know I can."

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Cemetery - Elsewhere - Same Time**

"She can do it, ya know," Xander commented as he and Buffy exited another demon-less mausoleum with an unseen Joyce trailing along.

"Who?" Buffy asked, feigning ignorance.

"You know who. Dawn. She can handle the magic training."

Buffy just grumbled in reply, despite her mother's continuing attempts at influence. Joyce huffed in frustration at her hard-headed daughter.

"It's not like we're gonna be rehearsing another resurrection. We're just gonna be learning the basics. Like locator spells and protection spells."

"Yeah, and that's how Willow started, remember? One thing will lead to another, and the next thing we know, Dawn's in magic rehab, too. Or worse."

"That might happen anyway if you don't let her be trained. She's a teenager who wants to help, and you're not letting her. She might do it on her own, like Willow did."

"I'm trying to protect her!"

"She lives on a hellmouth. You can't protect her forever. But you can help her protect herself. Come on, at least let her be tested. If she doesn't flag as magically inclined, then you'll have ammunition for shutting her down."

"And if she _does_ show a magical inclination?"

"Well, you can cross that bridge when you get there."

"I don't have to cross it. I've already crossed it. I _know_ she can do it, and that's what scares me."

"Then let her be trained so that she won't go astray. Let Dr. Raine teach her some protection spells at least. She might need them to protect Faith. That's what you want, right?"

Buffy looked like she was about to cave, but something distracted her. "Vampire," she whispered urgently, pointing toward a figure ahead of them. "Thank god!" she growled as she took off. "I am _so_ ready to slay something right now!"

"No! No slaying," Xander said as he ran after her. "Interrogate then slay. Dr. Raine said! Interrogate First!" he called out as he tried to catch up.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale Cemetery - A Short Time Later**

Under Dr. Raine's guidance, Tara began modifying her use of the shielding spell. She cast it again and again as Dr. Raine gauged the shield's strength and coverage. The watcher had her cast it first in one direction and then another in rapid succession. Then two directions at once. Then as a solid dome, which Tara now held in place as Dr. Raine pummeled it with a wooden staff.

"Excellent, Tara, excellent!" Dr. Raine praised after ending the attack. When Tara started to drop the shield, the watcher stopped her. "No, not yet. Reshape it for me. Go from dome to frontal shield. Slowly, slowly. Good. Now, push me with it."

Tara looked puzzled at first, then made a lunging step forward with her body, with the shield still in front of her.

Dr. Raine waved both arms back and forth in a 'stop' gesture, causing Tara to drop her shield. "No, no, not like that. Sorry, sorry, I didn't make myself clear. I want _you_ to stay put. I want only the shield to move toward me."

"Oh, I see," Tara said.

She recast the spell and formed the force field in front of her. Carefully she directed the shield forward, without moving any part of her body other than her hands and arms.

"Slowly now," Dr. Raine directed. "Just give me a wee little nudge..."

And Tara did just that, applying a small shove that caused Dr. Raine to stumble a bit but not fall.

"Superb, my dear! Absolutely superb!"

"That's so cool!" Tara said excitedly. "I never thought of using the shield like that. It doesn't have to be just for defense."

"Exactly. You can use it to protect, but when you must, you can use to attack. For example, you could use it for a-"

"Vampire!" came Xander's voice over the radio along with the sounds of running and strained breathing. "Big vamp! Big vamp! Coming through! Coming through!"

Dr. Raine snatched up the radio. "From where? What direction?"

"Right...huff...toward you...huff..." Xander croaked out mid-run.

As Dr. Raine ran to get a stake from her satchel, Tara looked around them but couldn't make out anything in the darkness. She closed her eyes and reached out with her magical senses.

There he was. Passing around the Langer mausoleum from the far side, coming up behind her. _It's now or never_, she told herself.

Tara could hear Buffy screaming her name in panic, but she tuned it out and focused her energies. At the last second, she whipped around, cast her shield, and shot it forward like high-powered piston. The vamp flew ten yards in reverse and slammed back-first into the side of mausoleum, his body embedding itself several inches deep into the concrete facade and staying there.

Buffy slid to a halt at the back corner of the mausoleum. She stared wide-eyed at the vampire and then at Tara and then back again.

Tara's own expression was a mixture of surprise and relief sprinkled with a bit of pride. _I did it_, she thought. _I did it_!

A few seconds later, Xander arrived on the scene and took in the sight of the wall-embedded vamp.

"Holy smack-down, Batman!" he exclaimed, patting Buffy on the shoulder. "Good job, Buff."

"Not me," Buffy said, shaking her head and then pointing. "Tara."

Xander did his own double-take. "Wow." Just then the vamp's body creaked out of the indentation and fell face-down on the ground, still out cold. "Double wow."

"Holy cow, Tara! I didn't know you could do that!" Buffy told her when she and Dr. Raine approached.

"Me either," Tara admitted. "Till tonight."

"And it's magic done properly, isn't it, my dear?" Dr. Raine noted.

Tara nodded, grinning widely.

Xander struck a thoughtful pose. "Man, just imagine what it could be like if we _all_ knew a little mojo. Properly trained, of course." Then he looked right at Buffy.

Buffy's eyes shot heavenward for a moment. Then she asked, "Are you going to keep nagging me and dropping hints the size of boulders until I agree to let Dawn be trained?"

"Pretty much," he confirmed. Then he playfully tugged on Buffy's sleeve several times. "Come on, let Dawnie train with me so I won't be the only newbie."

Buffy crossed her arms and shot him a look that wasn't nearly as scathing as she'd hoped it would be. "Fine. But when she burns your eyebrows off with a magic fireball, I _will_ say I told you so."

Nearby, Joyce pumped her fist and said, "Yes!" before disappearing.

**Cut To:**

**Hospital - Faith's Room - Later That Night**

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Dawn exclaimed gleefully when Xander told her the good news about Buffy's reversal on the magic issue.

Buffy just let out a longsuffering sigh, which immediately changed into an "oomph" when Dawn wrapped her up in a big hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Dawn said rocking her sister from side to side before releasing her. "I won't let you down, I promise."

"Just be careful," Buffy warned. "Don't do anything on your own _ever_. Do exactly what Dr. Raine and Tara tell you to at all times. Got it?"

"Got it," Dawn said, giving a salute.

"And that goes for you, too, mister," Buffy told Xander.

"Aye, aye, cap'n," Xander said, also giving a salute.

Buffy rolled her eyes and turned away. A smile twitched at her lips, but it quickly faded away. She hoped they weren't making a mistake by resorting to more magic instead of less. But what choice did they have? Faith _had_ to be protected. No matter how much Buffy wished otherwise, she knew she couldn't be at Faith's side 24/7, not if she wanted to uncover and destroy the threat against Faith's life.

The vamp they'd captured earlier that night had been no help at all. Whatever plot was taking place in Sunnydale, he'd been clueless about it.

_I'll hit Willy's tomorrow night, _Buffy determined._ And I do mean 'hit.' Somebody __has__ to know something. Has to._

**Fade Out.**

_**The Friday After Faith's Arrival in Sunnydale**_

**Fade In:**

**Devon Coven House - Morning (England time)**

Willow was sitting cross-legged on the floor in one of the smaller casting rooms in the Coven's sacred space. Her eyes were closed, and her hands were resting palm up and open on her knees. Althenea, the High Priestess and Giles's friend, sat across from Willow in a similar pose. Her long straight black hair fell the length of her back like a shimmering cape of black satin.

They had just finished a basic renewal ritual, used by witches to ground themselves and to reconnect with the elemental energies. They were supposed to be participating in a final moment of silent meditation, but Willow was already fidgeting and peeking.

Althenea took in a sudden breath and slowly let it out, then opened her aqua-blue eyes. Willow forced herself back into stillness.

"How do you feel?" Althenea asked.

"Good," Willow answered. "Good. That was...good."

"Feeling 'twitchy'?"

"Yeah, a little," Willow admitted. "But i-i-it was still good. It's just-"

"Been a while?"

"Yeah."

"How long has it been since you've done the ritual?"

"Ahhh, ummm, welllll..."

"Too long," Althenea noted before turning quite serious. "I can't emphasize enough how important daily renewal is. You must stay connected to the elements and to spirit, and you must replenish your energy and give thanks."

"I know, I know...it just takes so long, and I always have so much to do and-" Willow stopped short when Althenea raised her hand.

"No excuses, Willow. If you're going to do magic, especially magic on a hellmouth, _nothing_ is more important than grounding yourself, reconnecting, recharging. It was your impatience, your failure to make time, that led you to take shortcuts, _dangerous_ shortcuts, shortcuts that might have cost you your very soul."

Willow hung her head as Althenea went on.

"While you're here, you'll be expected to do the renewal ritual every morning and every evening, without fail. Understood?"

Willow nodded meekly in agreement.

"Now, let's talk about today's lesson..."

**Cut To:**

**Summers Home - Morning (California time)**

At Dr. Raine's insistence, Buffy had come home while Faith was undergoing yet another series of tests. With Willow in England and Tara and Dawn at school, Buffy had the house to herself. She had rested on the living room couch for a while. Although she hadn't actually slept, she'd been grateful for the room to stretch out completely. After that, she had taken a long, hot bubble bath, something she definitely couldn't do in the tiny hospital bathroom.

Buffy was now toweling her hair dry in her former bedroom, Dawn's current room. Even though Xander had boarded up the broken window in the guest room, Buffy couldn't bear to be in there for very long, not where Faith had been attacked.

Just as Buffy finished combing out her hair, the phone rang. She rushed over and yanked up the receiver, fearing that something had happened at the hospital.

"Hello?!" Buffy answered frantically.

It wasn't Dr. Raine or the hospital, though. It was Willow.

"Oh, um, Buffy...I-I-I didn't know you were going to be there. I thought Tara had a late class today...I must've gotten mixed up...I'll go..."

"You don't have to," Buffy quickly interjected. "I mean...we can talk...you know...i-i-if you want to."

Willow let out a quite audible sigh of relief. "I'd like that. To talk. You know, for us to talk."

Despite their mutual desire to communicate, neither Buffy nor Willow said anything right away. After about a minute of awkward silence, Buffy broke the stalemate.

"Tara had to go in early today. She had to make up a test she missed. That's why she wasn't here."

"Oh. I guess she missed it earlier after..."

"Yeah."

"So, um...how's Faith?"

"The same. She still hasn't woken up."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I'm so-"

"I know," Buffy said, cutting her off but not meanly. "I know." She forced some optimism into her voice. "But Tara did this really powerful healing spell, and I'm hoping it will help."

"Tara told me about it. It sounded like a really great idea-to borrow some of your slayer power. I'm sure it will make a big difference."

"Thanks. So...how's the training going?"

"Good. It's good. I just finished my first full day. It was good."

"Good. That's good."

As another long silence stretched out, Buffy fiddled nervously with the phone cord. Finally, she made the move to end the call.

"Look, I really need to go. Dr. Raine's expecting me at the hospital."

That wasn't true. Dr. Raine had ordered Buffy to stay home for a few hours and get some sleep on a real bed. But Willow didn't have to know that.

"Right. Of course. No problem."

_What do I say now? _Buffy thought._ 'Good talking to you'? No, not really. 'Talk to you soon'? Hopefully not, too awkward. 'Miss you'? Ehhh...jury's still out on that one. 'See you later, Alligator'? Okay, that one's just stupid._

Now completely flustered, Buffy just blurted out, "Okay then. Bye."

"Bye," came Willow's plaintive voice as Buffy hung up the phone.

Buffy's hands were shaking after the call, her mind a tempest of emotions. Part of her still wanted to punish Willow for hurting Faith. Even though she knew it ultimately wasn't Willow's fault, she couldn't help feeling a tide of rage swell up inside her when she remembered Willow's attack.

Luckily, that part of her was growing weaker, especially since the Anti-Fury spell, when Buffy had learned that she too had once nearly killed Faith under the influence of a Fury.

Buffy thought about how close she and Willow used to be, when they would talk about everything and spend hours together doing nothing. She couldn't remember when they'd last done that. Was it before Joyce's death? Before Dawn's arrival? Before Tara even?

How did they lose it? Could they get it back? Did Buffy even want to after everything that had happened? She plopped down on the side of Dawn's bed, clutched her fist over her chest, and let herself cry, the sense of loss too overpowering.

After a few moments, her tears finally subsided. She focused on her breathing until she could calm herself. Once her emotions were under control, she glanced over at the pillows at the head of the bed. She had intended to comply with Dr. Raine's orders and get a few hours of sleep before returning to Faith's room, but there was no way she could sleep now. She'd get dressed and get a bite to eat and then head back up to the hospital.

**Cut To:**

**Hospital - Faith's Room -**** A Short Time Later**

Dr. Raine gave Buffy a chiding glance when she returned to Faith's room far sooner than she should have.

"I know, I know," Buffy said in her own defense. "I just couldn't sleep. I did relax some, though, and I had a bubble bath, and I did eat."

"Slayers..." Dr. Raine complained but with a twinkle in her eyes.

"How did Faith's tests go?"

"Very well for the most part. Her heart is doing fine, no signs of permanent damage. The tissues along her spinal cord are still highly inflamed, but that's not unusual at this point in time, given her injuries. There has been no recurrence of bleeding on her brain, and the swelling has gone down significantly. Her brain wave activity remains steady, although at a level lower than we'd like due to her comatose state."

"No hints on when she might wake up?"

Dr. Raine shook her head. "Medical tests don't provide much assistance in that area, unfortunately."

"No blinking billboards in her brain saying 'By the way, I'm waking up on Tuesday'?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Well, then...we wait. For as long it takes."

Dr. Raine gave Buffy a smile and patted her arm. "For as long it takes."

**Fade Out.**

**Fade In:**

**Hospital - Faith's Room - Later That Morning**

The nurses had come and gone after once again seeing to Faith's care. Dr. Raine had gone into the hallway to make some calls on her cell phone. With the room now relatively quiet, Buffy had finally succumbed to the need for sleep.

Intending to rest her eyes for only a moment, she had leaned her head forward onto her chest and fallen right to sleep-and directly into a dream.

**Cut To:**

**Sunnydale High School - Library - Night**

Buffy was walking through the hallways of her old high school. It looked the same as she remembered it, and yet it didn't. Certain details appeared crisp and clear, while others were blurred or faded.

She found the library and pushed open its double doors. She walked past the checkout desk, through the study tables, up and into the stacks, then back down again.

When she realized no one was there, a puzzled expression came over her face. "Where is everybody?" she asked aloud.

She looked down at the floor of the study area, knowing that the hellmouth was right beneath her. "Slayer dreamy news just hasssss to be about you, doesn't it?" she said sarcastically. "It's always the hellmouth, one way or another."

When she looked up, she saw a figure by the checkout desk, someone she recognized. A fellow slayer, slain years before.

"Kendra?"

Buffy joined her at the desk.

"What are you doing here?" she asked the fallen slayer.

"I died here," Kendra replied in her distinctive Caribbean accent.

"Right. Sorry..." Buffy said, ducking her head.

"Don't be," the girl said. "It was necessary."

"Necessary?"

"If I had not died, Faith would not have been called."

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "And Faith is...'necessary.' " She spoke this as a statement but meant it as a question.

Kendra nodded, a enigmatic expression on her face.

"Necessary for what? Do you know what's going to happen? Tell me how I can help her, tell me how I can keep her safe!"

Kendra placed her hand over Buffy's heart. "All you need is within you," she said. Then she stepped back and began to fade away.

"No! No! Don't go!" Buffy cried out. "I don't know what you mean!"

But Kendra disappeared anyway.

Buffy let out a frustrated roar. "Argghh! Is _cryptic_ the only language the Powers-That-Be can speak?"

She let out a huff and glanced nervously around the room, not knowing what to do next. Suddenly, through the circular windows of the library doors, she glimpsed someone walking slowly by. It was a haggard-looking Faith.

"Faith!" Buffy screamed, running for the door.

When Buffy hit the hallway, she called out Faith's name again, but Faith didn't answer. The dark slayer, dressed only in a hospital gown, kept trudging ahead zombie-like.

Buffy ran as hard as she could, yet she didn't seem to be gaining any ground. A deep fog began to swirl through the hallways, clinging close to the floor. It was so thick that it almost felt solid, slowing Buffy's progress like an intangible tar.

She kept calling Faith's name. Finally, Faith turned around and faced Buffy, but she didn't seem to be seeing her. She just looked straight through her, then turned and resumed moving away.

"Faith! No! Not that way! Come back!"

Faith kept walking.

"Come back to me, _please_!"

Faith stopped. Stood still. Then gradually turned around.

"Buffy?"

**Cut To:**

**Hospital - Faith's Room - Resume**

Buffy awakened with a gasp. Her eyes went straight to Faith, who was groaning and moving her head. Buffy jumped to her feet and ran to her side, taking the slayer's hand in hers.

"Faith, it's me. I'm right here."

Faith mumbled something incoherent. Then her eyes started blinking open.

"I'm right here, Faith. Just follow my voice."

Faith continued looking around the room blurry-eyed until her gaze finally fell on Buffy.

"Buffy?" Faith asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Yeah. It's me," Buffy softly replied. Although tears were rolling down her cheeks, she wore a big smile. "Welcome back."

**END OF PART 18**


End file.
